Master of the Game
by LadyDeb1970
Summary: Thirteenth in the Birthright series: When the Families make one final bid to recapture Captain Jack Harkness, that proves to be their final mistake. Because if his father, the Time Lord Rassilon, doesn't end them, their true masters will.
1. Prologue: From a Certain Point of View

Author's Notes: So, I wasn't planning on even having the prologue written until next weekend, as I wanted to get Alice's story written … but she developed cold feet (maybe literally … when I woke up this morning, it wasn't even forty degrees). Koschei, on the other hand, had plenty to say. He has promised to explain why his later self didn't recognize/remember Jack at another time. Also, this is the Master as played by Anthony Ainslie (who is my favorite Master, although Michelle Gomez' Missy is growing on me). I absolutely loved him in _The Five Doctors_. I've also incorporated some of the actual _Miracle Day_ revelations in this, but chose another explanation. One that I think (hope) makes a little more sense. This story will also see the revelation of the ultimate force behind the Families … and it wouldn't surprise me if a few of you have already guessed it. _Master of the Game_ follows not just the recently-completed _Dite's Favor_ , but also _Riding the Storm Out_. This takes place about two months after _Riding the Storm_ _Out_ and nearly eight months after _Dite's Favor_. So. In this prologue, we have the Miracle (or more properly, Abomination) being conceived.

Disclaimer: Captain Jack Harkness, Esther Drummond, Owen Harper, Ianto Jones, Toshiko Sato, John Hart, Suzie Costello, Angelo Colasanto, Rassilon, the Master (in all his incarnations), the Doctor (ditto), and the Families do not belong to me (not that I'd claim the Families). They belong to the BBC and Starz. Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Thor, Pepper Potts, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Nick Fury, Maria Hill and all things Avengers do not belong to me, they belong to Marvel. Lucas North also doesn't belong to me, he belongs to Kudos by way of Spooks/MI-5. Anyone you don't recognize (such as the Tregarths, et al), on the other hand, do belong to me. You can borrow them … please just ask first, and return them intact.

Prologue

From a Certain Point of View

New York City, New York

1928

The artron energy was what drew him to this ape settlement … to watch as a young man was murdered over and over by his own kind. The boy was an immortal … in a manner of speaking, at least. He watched clinically as the young man's blood was collected. And these were the beings the Doctor was so desperate to save! He shook his head, disgusted. But he watched. And he saw what others missed, including the arrival of three apes, who bought that collected blood. Hmm. Interesting. He watched long enough to see a much younger man cut down the immortal, tenderly cleaning him, and then turned his attention to the three newcomers.

It took him very little time indeed to find them, but in that time, he'd put together a proposal and a plan. While the Doctor was inordinately fond of his human pets, he himself had become enchanted by Earth itself. It wasn't Gallifrey, no, but there was only one Gallifrey. However, if you got rid of the humans … well. He and the Doctor weren't the only troublemakers among the Time Lords. If he got rid of the apes, this could be a lovely colony for those who weren't good little Time Lords and Ladies … or just wanted to be left alone. Thus, he approached the men who collected the blood of the immortal with that proposal and plan. He knew of a place where that blood would do the most good … or bad. And, when the time was right, he could make them masters of this planet. What did it cost him? Why, nothing … nothing at all. No, all they had to do was follow him to the gap in the world, and he could help them put things into motion.

Immortality could be a Blessing or a Curse. It all depended on your perspective. Or, to use a phrase that would become known in a set of movies, fifty years from now, ' _the truths we cling to depend very much on our point of view_.' And he had with him some Gallifreyan technology that, along with the gap and the artron-soaked blood, could make every human being on this planet immortal. Oh, it wouldn't turn them into a Fact, like the young man he'd seen murdered over and over again. But it would make them immortal. It would take only a short time for resources to run out, and when it did … when it did, he would turn off the machine that turned up the human radio to full blast … and every last ape, aside from this Fact, would die (and arrangements would need to be made for the Fact … perhaps he could be recruited?).

Not that he told his new partners-in-crime that, of course. They would die as well. But for now, he would let them believe that they were in control. They weren't. Because people like that, people so impressed with their own superiority and intelligence were among the easiest to lead. There was only one thing he told them the truth about … well. The whole truth, at least, and that was his name. When one man asked his name, he answered truthfully, "Among my people, we have many names. Names have power, you see. But you can know me by the name I chose for myself, how my people and my best enemy know me. **I** am the Master."

TBC


	2. Chapter 1: A New Journey

Author's Notes: I thought for a while about adding a third section, but realized it stood just fine on its own. I don't hold out much hope that this will practically write itself, but I'm already mentally writing out the next chapter. I also had the really weird idea of the Tenth Doctor showing up on the helicarrier and trying to tell Nick Fury not to do something. I have no idea if it will go into the story … all depends on the characters. There might not be room in this story for it. Just like with _Dite's Favor_ … Thor, Loki, Frigga, and Odin were supposed to make an appearance, but it just didn't work out that way. At this point, none of us know why Loki was masquerading as Odin at the end of _Thor: The Dark World_ , but I have a feeling Odin is in trouble. At least, in the Marvel universe. I have an entirely different idea for the _Birthright/Something Like Forgiveness_ series. In any event, in this chapter, Torchwood gets ready for its tour of the helicarrier and Rhys makes a decision about his life.

Chapter One

A New Journey

Tregarth Homestead, Oklahoma

May 2013

"Don't worry, honey … no matter how your mom feels, you'll still get to see the helicarrier."

Sophia Tregarth knelt in front of her youngest granddaughter, rubbing her thumb over the little girl's knuckles and offering the child a reassuring smile. But it seemed that Ailsa was worried about other things, as she replied earnestly, "Oh, I know, Mama Sophia. Jack promised and he doesn't break his promises to me. But Mommy's sick, and Mommy's never sick." Sophia started to answer, but the sound of a toilet flushing kept her from speaking. While it was true that Natalie had never been physically ill in the year and a half since Sophia's awakening, the Tregarth matriarch had a suspicion about the nature of her youngest daughter's illness.

The lady in question returned to the sitting room, looking pale and tired, but better than she had all morning. She smiled at Ailsa, saying, "Ready to go, baby girl? Clint said that he and Steve would be here in about fifteen minutes, so we should get ready to meet them. Are you coming, too, Mama?" The word was becoming easier and easier for Natalie to say, and Sophia cherished every time the word came out of her daughter's mouth. She nodded, because there was no way she would miss this, even if she didn't have concerns about Natalie.

"Of course I am … I've never been on a helicarrier, and just hearing Tony Stark's descriptions of it … well, there's nothing like being there. And you're sure that you're okay, Nat?" Sophia inquired as her baby swung _her_ baby into her arms. She knew she was being overly-protective, but between the ambush eight months earlier, when Natalie and Lucas were shot, and then the more recent encounter with the sex spores, she really couldn't help herself. Actually, to hell with ' _she couldn't help herself_.' As far as Sophia was concerned, she had every right to be overly-protective of her youngest. That was twice she nearly lost her child, just in the last year. Factor in her younger sister's recent death, and no, Sophia wasn't about to make apologies of any sort for wanting to wrap her children in cotton. And fortunately, Nat didn't resent that tendency … she may have rolled her eyes where Sophia couldn't see her (actually, she probably did), but that was the extent of it. Then again, Natalie was a mother herself … she understood, especially after their run-in with the kindergarten bitch (yes, she remembered her name … no, the individual in question didn't deserve the use of her name, any more than the bitch who sold them out in England deserved the use of _her_ name).

"Fine. Feeling a lot better now. Still not sure what happened," Natalie answered as Esther and Jack met them at the door. Sophia had her suspicions, and judging from Jack's reaction, so did he. But he only smiled, teased Natalie about trying on a new shade of green and held out his arms to Ailsa. The little girl promptly lunged for him, giggling as he flipped her in mid-air once before setting her on his shoulders. The three remaining Tregarth women followed the immortal and the child from the house, joking and teasing all the way. Sophia kept a careful eye on her daughter … Nat seemed to be fine now, but she 'seemed to be' fine seconds before she found it necessary to bolt into the bathroom. It seemed to be under control, and as the landing site came into view, they found the rest of the family, including Alice, waiting for them.

Sophia didn't miss the quick, concerned look Jack gave his daughter, who was leaning against Jason. Nor did she miss how thin Alice had become during the last several months. According to the doctors, she should have died months ago … that was the toll that her illness was taking on her body. She was holding on, though. It was as if there was something she still had to do, before she could let go. Octavia was holding Angel and matching her babble for babble, much to the toddler's amusement. Natalie snickered and Octavia stuck her tongue out at her younger sister, squeaking when Angel started smushing her cheeks. Esther called out cheerfully, "You're doing it wrong if you're squeaking, Octavia!"

Octavia's response was lost in toddler giggles and more smushing. Alice laughed, "You should listen to your niece. Hello, sweet girl!" Angel squealed and did an Ailsa-lunge, right into Alice's waiting arms. Jason muttered a few choice words under his breath, which Alice virtuously ignored as she continued, gently swaying with the toddler, "Just out of curiosity, when does Agent North arrive? I know the work on his building is nearly complete, and the next step is decorating." Jason actually groaned at that, and Alice winked at Sophia, continuing, "I only mention it because the last time we were in town, Ava promised to take me into a furniture store." Natalie's smile dimmed a bit, but before any mention could be made of Priscilla trashing her room after Esther was taken from them, the Avengers quinjet was settling.

A gentle hand in the small of her back alerted her to her husband's arrival with Lucas (their grandson, and they would have to figure out a way to differentiate between him and Lucas North. She was starting to like Octavia's idea of calling her youngest grandson, 'Lucky.' He certainly was lucky to be alive, after being shot in the chest). And yes, she was just as worried about Carlyon as she was about her daughter and grandson. He'd been distracted ever since that trip to Cardiff. Something happened there … and while Sophia was willing to respect her husband's need for space, she _would_ intervene if there was even a hint that his secret would endanger his life (or anyone else's). After everything they'd been through, especially during the last few months, she wasn't about to lose anyone else she loved.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

London, England

Heathrow Airport

Approximately the same time

What was he doing? Well, he knew _what_ he was doing … he was getting ready to board an airplane bound for the States. But what was he _thinking_ , leaving everything he knew behind him? Ah, that was the trouble, now wasn't it? His marriage disintegrated into the lie that it was, his daughter was God only knew where, and his heart wasn't in his job any more. Rhys Williams wanted to blame Torchwood, and Captain Jack Harkness, for taking everything that mattered to him, but that was a luxury he no longer had. The life Rhys thought he was building with Gwen was built on a lie … a lie that was woven long before she clapped eyes on Jack Harkness, or heard of Torchwood. Not that this helped him in any way, shape, or form.

It was really sad, actually. Mr. Harwood and Ruth both realized the truth long before he did … it was time for another change. Which was why, three weeks earlier, he found himself called into Mr. Harwood's office. He was doing an exemplary job, as ever … but he no longer took pleasure in it. Rhys wanted to protest, but he couldn't lie. Everywhere he looked, there were reminders of Gwen and Anwen, and the reminders of Anwen hurt far more. That included the furtive glances and whispers that people thought he couldn't hear. No one in the office knew the full story, but the common whispers had it that Anwen was kidnapped, and Gwen left him as a result. When he stopped and thought about it, that wasn't too far wrong.

Mr. Harwood asked if he would listen to a visitor … a tall, dark-haired American named Liam Colasanto. He wasn't sure what to expect … the only Americans he had any contact with were Jack (and all the baggage that entailed), Rex Matheson (the less said about him, the better), and that sweet young girl who died at the end of Miracle Day, Esther Drummond. As it turned out, Liam Colasanto was like none of them … or all of them. Rhys still wasn't sure how that worked. But Liam was reserved where Jack was boisterous, respectful where Matheson was abrasive, and … well, he hadn't formed a real picture of Esther, aside from her sweet nature and her obvious affection for Jack. On the other hand, Anwen liked her, so that was a point in her favor.

In any event, Liam Colasanto was in the market for a lorry driver. He would need to move to Nevada and learn how to drive on the right-hand side of the road … but it would be a fresh start, something he truly needed. Maybe if he gained some distance and perspective, he'd be able to move forward with his life. Liam didn't want an answer right then. Rather, he asked Rhys to meet him at a particular location. There was one more thing he wanted Rhys to see before he made his decision. His head still reeling from everything he'd heard during the last half hour, Rhys had nodded a bit numbly before leaving his boss' office.

But there were more surprises to come. The following morning, he accompanied Liam on a ferry ride to an island he hadn't known existed … Flat Holm, it was called. During the ferry ride, Liam explained how he knew Mr. Harwood. Years ago, Liam's grandfather did a favor for the head of Harwood's Haulage (that was all that was said … a favor. No more details than that, and probably for the best). The only request he had in terms of payment was that whoever was in charge watch over someone very dear to Colasanto … one Captain Jack Harkness, whom he had wrong so very badly. Just … watch over him. No one had to do anything … Colasanto had other men for that, but the haulage firm would be Colasanto's ace in the hole. They just needed to watch over Jack Harkness.

Funny, how his life kept returning to that man. But where there might have once been resentment and envy, Rhys now felt nothing. That had been the case for the last eight months. He had wanted to blame Jack in the beginning. Even with Dite's Favor removed from Gwen, even with the removal of Gwen from his life, that first impulse to blame Jack and Torchwood for the ills of his life remained. But as the months wore on, and he began to accept that Gwen made her own choices (especially after Jack was out of her life), that excuse got old and tired real fast. Yet, he had to wonder why the immortal kept being brought into his life.

More questions awaited him once he and Liam arrived at Flat Home, along with a very attractive blonde woman named 'Eleanor.' More questions, and more answers as well. Flat Holm, he learned, was a sanctuary. Rhys, thanks to Gwen, knew about the Rift that ran through Cardiff at one time. He knew that people from the past sometimes ended up in modern Cardiff, and he knew that there were times when people were taken and stayed gone. What he hadn't known was that sometimes, there were returnees. And up until Jack Harkness took over as director of Torchwood Three, those returnees were barely more than prisoners. It was Jack who created Flat Holm with his own money, created and staffed.

He learned something else at Flat Holm … when the Rift in Cardiff was closed (so that's what happened. Things got awfully quiet not long before Jack left the planet), another Rift eventually opened up in Oklahoma. The new Rift was about the same size (not that anyone knew exactly what size it was) as the Cardiff Rift, and just as it had been necessary here in Cardiff, a sanctuary was set up … but rather than off the coast (since Oklahoma didn't have a coast), it was set up in Nevada. And things started to make sense for Rhys. They wanted him to work at this American Flat Holm ( _Safe Haven_ , Eleanor corrected, _it's called Safe Haven_ ). Liam confirmed this, explaining that sometimes, for varying reasons, they couldn't fly the refugees (or the aliens) from the Tregarth property to Safe Haven. Plus, they were out in the middle of nowhere. He wouldn't be working for Torchwood itself, but acting in an auxiliary function.

He found himself pointing out to them that Torchwood had ruined his marriage, but Eleanor actually laughed and told him that his wife had done that. Liam seemed to fade into the background as Rhys demanded to know what she knew about it. And that was how he found out about Eleanor's background. She had been Dite's host, once upon a time. She was Dite's host, and she knew more about his _beloved_ wife (both Rhys and Liam winced at the disdain that dripped from that world 'beloved') than apparently Rhys did. But long before she was Dite's host, she was a wife and a mother who lost her husband and her sons in the maelstrom that was the American Civil War.

Dite had given her another chance at life, a chance that was now being offered to Rhys. He couldn't heal here, where reminders of his devastated family abounded. They were offering him a fresh start, and Rhys had to admit that he was thinking seriously about it. But he wasn't willing to make a commitment … not yet. This … this city was everything to him. He was born here, he grew up here, and he made a life here. He couldn't just up and leave. Could he? When he had dinner with his mother later that week (and bless her for never saying ' _I told you so_ ' when she was proven right about Gwen), and he told her about a possible job in the States, she asked very pragmatically what was keeping him here. And she didn't want to hear that she was. Would she miss him if he did take this job? Oh yes. Beyond words. But right now, she missed his smile. He hadn't smiled, not really, not since he and Anwen were kidnapped. He was existing, not living, and if this new job would help him to smile again, then she wanted him to think seriously about it. More than that, if this new job would make him smile again, she wanted him to take it. She put her hand over his, saying softly, ' _you are my son, Rhys. And I love you. I want you to be happy. And you've not been happy in too long. Think about it. Please_.'

And that was what he did. He thought about it all. He thought about the Riftugees in Flat Holm, and what their lives were like before Flat Holm came into being. He thought about the poor beastie that opened his eyes to what Gwen really did. He thought about how angry Jack Harkness was when he realized what Rhys had done, and for the first time, he actually looked at it from the other man's perspective, and realized what could have gone wrong. He'd been lucky … damn lucky. He hadn't been trained for any of this, but …

But he'd chosen to get involved. Him. He made that choice, and he would do it again. But now, Liam Colasanto was offering him the chance to … to make a new life for himself. He wasn't cut out for the spooky-dos (as Andy always called it), but he _was_ cut out to take care of people. It was what he was good at, and … and he no longer had someone to take care of. Before the kidnapping, it was Anwen, and before Anwen came along, it was Gwen, when she would let him. He was missing not just his wife and daughter (or rather, his daughter and what his wife had represented to him), but someone to take care of.

With that in mind, he called Liam and laid out his conditions. Stipulations … requests? However you wanted to term it, there were certain things he wanted, in addition to his pay, room, and board. Most importantly, he wanted access to the kitchen. For him, it wasn't just about cooking, but he did his best thinking when he was cooking. He also wanted the freedom to experiment. During his meeting with Liam, the other man grinned, answering that wouldn't be a problem. In fact, he had the choice of two kitchens … the one in the main house, or the cottage where the administrators of Safe Haven lived.

There was a second condition/stipulation/request. This came after a conversation with Eleanor, in which he learned that Liam was the younger brother of the woman who had him, Anwen, and Mary Cooper kidnapped, who had them held hostage. Rhys never knew the full story, until Eleanor explained that Olivia Colasanto had the three of them captured and held hostage to get Gwen to bring Jack to her. Rhys would have responded to that, but the pure hatred in Eleanor's voice whenever she spoke his ex-wife's name kept him silent.

But that was the second request. He wanted to meet this woman. He wanted to look at her, and force her to look at him, and explain to him just where she thought she got the right to use other people as playthings. He, his daughter and his former mother-in-law, they were no more than pawns to her. He wanted her to explain that to him. What gave her the right to treat them like that … what made her think she had the right? He told Liam that he wanted to meet with his older sister. The barrister didn't look happy, but agreed to that stipulation, saying that was the very least that his family owed to Rhys.

And that was when Eleanor dropped the biggest bombshell of all … she showed him the pictures of the Safe Haven administrators. He didn't recognize the stunning brunette with the long, shapely legs, but he did recognize the other two. One was the beautiful Japanese girl Gwen used to work with … Tasha? No, Tosh. Her name was Tosh. She'd died, Gwen had told him. And the other was … the other was Ianto, who died during the mess with the children. He said something about working with dead people, and Eleanor snarked, ' _they_ _ **were**_ _dead. They got better_.' There was a story there, and Liam promised to tell him during the flight.

So. Here he was, waiting to get on that flight. Waiting to board a plane that would take him to the next part of his life … to two people who were supposedly dead (it occurred to him that Gwen lied about that as well, given how much else she lied about). Waiting … waiting to find something that would help him make sense of his life again, waiting to find something that would fill the Anwen-shaped hole in his heart, or at least make some of the ache go away. As long as it didn't mean forgetting his little girl. He didn't want to forget his Anwen … and, he prayed that this bone-deep certainty that she was all right was true.

TBC

Additional Author's Notes: Okay, 'fess up. How many people figured out that the Nevada Flat Holm was the 'safe haven' I mentioned as being part of Rhys' future at the end of _Dite's Favor_? If you did figure it out, that's awesome … if you didn't, that's also awesome. I never intended for Anwen to be out of Rhys' life for an extended amount of time. When we get to the picnic I mentioned for Team Nevada and Torchwood (when Torchwood Cardiff is completely reunited, including Suzie), Rhys and Sophia will work things out between them so that Anwen's best interests are the priority and no one's heart is broken any further.


	3. Chapter 2: The Wizard of SHIELD

Author's Notes: First, fair warning … I suck at writing kids. I do. I'm forty-five years old, and while I adore my nieces and nephews, I don't always understand the way their minds work (I still giggle at my then three-year-old niece telling me very seriously about her 'Grown-up Baby Jaguar.') But Ailsa wanted a chance to tell the story from her perspective, and given what I've put the poor kid through during this entire series, it wasn't a hard request to grant. Next point … things just fell into place, with the airing of _The Girl Who Died_ and _The Woman Who Lived_ , with regards to the technology that has made Ashildr immortal. As soon as the latter episode aired on Saturday night, I was already formulating plans to work Ashildr into the storyline somehow. What about Missy? I'm still figuring that out, although I have a few ideas. SO! In this chapter, the Avengers arrive at the Tregarth homestead; Ailsa has some very specific thoughts about the director of SHIELD; while the Twelfth Doctor encounters a very old friend.

Chapter Two

The Wizard of SHIELD

Tregarth Homestead, Oklahoma

The entire Tregarth family/Torchwood team was waiting for them at the landing field, and Clint Barton was relieved to see that both Natalie Tregarth and Lucas Martinelli were standing upright. Yeah, it had been eight months since the two were shot in an op gone horribly, horribly wrong, but it took time to recover from a GSW, as he well knew. Clint had known people who never completely recovered. At his side, Steve Rogers murmured, "They seem to be fine. Still a bit worried about Jack. He says he's fine, but … " Clint nodded as he gently settled the quinjet on the ground a safe distance from the family.

"Don't blame you a bit. He regarded that woman as his best friend. I don't imagine it's the first time his trust has been betrayed, but it doesn't make it any easier," Clint replied. He knew that painfully well. Steve just nodded. Clint didn't really know much about the other man's past … and what he did know was the stuff of legends. It would have been easy to resent him, if he hadn't seen pictures of Steve (he insisted on being called Steve if they weren't on an op, rather than Cap) before the serum. None of them had it easy … not Clint himself, not Bruce, not Natasha, not Steve, not Tony (who was in the back, working on … something), not even Thor.

"I still say I should track her down and have a little … talk … with her," Natasha observed. Clint glanced over his shoulder at his best friend, and Natasha continued calmly, "I know her kind, Clint. She claims that she was trying to save her husband and child, all the while ignoring that her actions placed them in danger. She pretends to be a bad-ass when it suits her, and then turns into the victim when things don't go her way. I know her kind … I've pretended to be it enough time." Clint didn't say anything. He didn't have to. Natasha continued, "But, I've been asked not to. And I won't. For now. But if she hurts anyone ever again …"

She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't have to. Steve asked curiously as they began to vacate the quinjet to greet their passengers, "Why? I mean … why are you so angry with her? You aren't that close to Jack, Natalie, or Lucas, but after Jack told me what happened, I was sure you would fly to Cardiff and tear her apart, and I'm not sure why." There was no censure in his voice, only curiosity. Natasha didn't speak at first … not that Clint was expecting her to. He thought back to the assassin whom he was assigned to take out, and wondered. But Natasha surprised him when she did answer.

"It's a fair question … more than fair, really. She was given so much, Captain. She had the love of a good man, a beautiful little daughter, the friendship of someone who defines loyalty. And she appreciated none of it. Worse than that, she refuses to take responsibility. I have red in my ledger. I can't wipe it out, not really. I can try to balance the scales, but I can never truly wipe out the red, because the people I killed? They will never come back to life. That's the price I have to pay, that's what I have to live with. That woman? Until the Favor was taken from her and Captain Harkness saw her as she truly was, she was never held accountable," Natasha answered quietly. She looked at the two men, adding, "This isn't about loving or even liking Captain Harkness. This isn't about my relationship with Natalie or Lucas. This is about a woman who could have been better and _chose_ not to be. "

She fell silent as Carlyon Tregarth stepped forward with a broad smile. Steve passed them both on the ramp, taking the other man's hand. Clint watched the two World War II veterans, quietly marveling at the change in the leader of the Avengers. He seemed more at ease with Carlyon Tregarth, but then, he would. Carlyon knew and understood the world Steve Rogers came from. Just beyond Tregarth, Clint could see Jack Harkness, with Ailsa Tregarth on his shoulders. To his left was a slight, dark-haired woman whom Clint surmised was his daughter, Alice. She was leaning heaving on Jason Martinelli's arm, something Steve noticed as well, as he hurried toward the pair and offered the ailing woman his own arm. She took it willingly, smiling up at him. Clint couldn't hear what she said, but it made Steve smile. At his side, Natasha murmured, "God. He's really not much more than a kid, is he?"

Technically speaking, he was over ninety, but as Natalie once told him about his fellow captain's years of being buried (more or less) alive, the seventy years he spent on ice didn't count (and even now, thinking about someone being buried alive for two minutes, much less two thousand years was enough to send chills down his spine). Clint said softly, "He's young, yeah … but he comes from a time when the life expectancy is much different. He probably didn't expect to live through flying that plane into the Atlantic. He's young, Nat, but he's no kid. Now, the little monkey sitting on top of Jack's shoulders? She's a kid." He grinned as Ailsa waved at him wildly, nearly falling from her perch. She really was a cute kid, one who reminded him a lot of his Lila.

Nat said as much, observing, "We really need to introduce her and Lila. And can you imagine the mischief Cooper would get into with Jason and Lucas?" She gave a shudder that wasn't entirely feigned. Clint just rolled his eyes and followed his best friend, as well as his captain, down the ramp to meet up with Torchwood. He was still thinking about what Nat said about Gwen Cooper. She might have a beef with the woman for her own reasons … but she nearly killed someone who mattered to Clint. He wouldn't forget that.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

She was going to the helicarrier!

It was Ailsa Kerren Tregarth's seventh birthday, and she was going to the helicarrier as her birthday present. One of them, at least. She would go to the helicarrier where Captain Steve worked, where he and the other Avengers saved the world. And she would get to meet his boss, Nick Fury, who sounded like a cross between the Wizard of Oz and Sgt. Slaughter on the old cartoons that her cousins Jason and Lucas liked to watch. Ailsa told that to Captain Steve once, and she was glad she did, because it made him laugh.

Captain Steve was coming toward her now, and Jack plucked her from his shoulders, turning her in a somersault, before setting her on her feet once more. She giggled all the way down, before running straight into Captain Steve's arms. He swung her up into the air, so that she could beam down at him, before settling her on his hip. Her mom and the rest of their family approached more slowly, and Captain Steve said, nodding to Ailsa's mom first, "Good to see you, Natalie. You, too, Lucas … Jack told me what happened. I'm glad you're both okay." So was Ailsa. It had been forever since her mom and cousin nearly died because of that mean lady, but Ailsa didn't think she'd ever forget it … or forgive the person who hurt them.

It was bad of her, she knew. Her grandparents and Jack said that she should forgive, but Ailsa heard the hatred in her grandfather's voice when he spoke of the woman who shot her mother. It was the same hatred she heard in her mother's voice when she spoke of the woman who kidnapped Ailsa, who wanted her mother to hurt Jack. Her teacher, Miss Lola, was bad … so was the woman who hurt her mother. Aunt 'Cilla talked about egg-sten-u-ating circumstances, but Aunt Tavia retorted that wasn't true and she knew it. Aunt 'Cilla didn't argue after that. She didn't even look like she wanted to. As far as Ailsa was concerned, the woman who hurt her mother and her cousin was no better than the bad people who Captain Steve fought.

And now, Captain Steve was carrying her into the jet, carrying on a conversation with Jack the whole way. Her mom was talking to Mr. Clint, his arm draped around her shoulders. As Captain Steve and Jack talked, Miss Natasha was watching and listening. When her eyes met Ailsa's, she winked, as if sharing a secret with her. Ailsa tried to wink back, but just ended up blinking. As Captain Steve moved to the front of the jet, Miss Natasha pulled her out of his arms, and settled her in her lap. She said softly, "Now. Girl talk." Ailsa simply giggled and hugged the pretty redhead, feeling Miss Natasha's arms wrap around her in turn, and Miss Natasha went on, "Start with the two newbies … who are they?"

"The lady is Miss Alice, Jack's daughter. She always told people that he's her brother, but he's really her daddy. The Families, the bad people who made the Miracle, captured her and made her sick. We call the baby, 'Angel.' We don't know what her name really is, but Miss Alice was taking care of her when she escaped from the Families, and now we take care of her, too. Besides, Mama Sophia says she usually behaves like an angel. Most of the time. 'Cept when she's crying. Or saying, ' _no_ ,' 'cause Mama Sophia says that she's getting into the 'terrible twos," Ailsa told her as Esther took a seat near them, beside Ailsa's mother.

"She's an angel for everyone except Rex, that is," her cousin observed with a small smile, "whenever he's near, she cries and fusses. And it seems that she saves her worst tantrums for him, especially now she's hitting those terrible twos." Mr. Rex just glowered at Esther, who merely smiled sweetly, adding, "You know it's true, Rex. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that she met you in the past." Mr. Rex grumbled under his breath, and Mr. Clint ruffled her hair as he went past, smirking at Mr. Rex. Ailsa shook her head. Adults could be so silly at times.

"Maybe she does. You just never know, Esther … kids tend to be smarter than we think they are," Miss Natasha said, fingers waggling threateningly at Ailsa's sides. The little girl squirmed and giggled, even though Miss Natasha hadn't really tickled her … yet. Her mom winked at them both, and Miss Natasha continued, "So, no side effects from the attacks? Not just the ambush, but the one a few months ago?" Attack? Ailsa knew about the storm, when her mom got so sick, and Miss Natasha got a funny look on her face.

But Esther told her, "No one is suffering any ill effects. Well, except maybe Jack … and that's more in the lines of exhaustion than anything else." She grinned, waggling her brows, and Mr. Rex face-palmed. She added, smirking, "Oh, and Rex, of course, too. He formally proposed to my aunt, and she and my mother have been planning the wedding, with some help from Adriane. If you like, I can make sure that you get an invitation when they figure out what date it's going to be. Tavia has already decided that Ailsa will be a flower girl."

"A wedding invitation? Ooooh, I'd love one of those!" Miss Natasha answered cheerfully, and Mr. Rex looked as if he was actually melting into his seat. Or maybe he was just being silly again. That was probably it. He was being silly again. But that was okay, because it was better than when he was making Grandpa annoyed. Miss Natasha continued, "So, Esther, tell me about this wedding … I know that Ailsa is going to be a flower girl, but what about you, Nat, your mother and your sister? What are you going to be doing?"

"How about if we save this conversation for later … like, say, when Pepper can put her head together with yours?" Mr. Tony suggested, ruffling Ailsa's hair. Esther and Miss Natasha looked at each other, and Mr. Rex groaned now. That made her mother laugh and Esther agreed. Ailsa sighed and snuggled against Miss Natasha, who tightened her arms around her. She heard some people say that Miss Natasha was scary. Ailsa didn't think she was scary. She didn't even think Dr. Bruce was scary when he was green.

But Colonel Fury, the Wizard of SHIELD? He probably was scary, but that was okay. He was a wizard, and wizards were supposed to be scary.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

London, England

May 2013

"In case you're wondering, it wasn't me who provided that bit of technology to the Families to create Miracle Day … if you want someone to blame for that, you should look a little closer to home. And I suppose I should thank you for mentioning Jack's name to me … we're not quite the same, but more alike than everyone else. I never thought, though, when you told me of him that he would be one of the humans I should protect from you."

He'd been waiting for Clara when he heard the familiar voice. The Twelfth Doctor didn't bother turning around, saying only, "Similar wounds cause similar scars. I thought you could be each other companions. And I never imagined that you provided anything to the Families, much less willingly." Ashildr had been a chance for him to make things right with Jack. He still couldn't approach Jack, not this soon after the 456, but Ashildr … she was something else entirely. At last, he turned to face her, and wasn't entirely surprised by the furious expression on the young-looking woman's face. He added with a small smile, "I'm glad you looked after him."

"Well, _someone_ had to look after him, once the 456 were gone, because that idiot bitch certainly couldn't do it! She can't even bloody well take care of herself! Ianto Jones couldn't do it, because he was dead! You couldn't do it, because you weren't there! His daughter couldn't bear to look at him, couldn't even look at herself in the mirror because she would see him there! Someone had to look after him, in those months before he closed the Rift in Cardiff, and that someone was me! Bloody hell, Doctor, there are times when I wish I answered you differently, after you asked if we were enemies now!" Ashildr snarled.

The Doctor closed his eyes, because he knew she would react this way. But he couldn't change what his Ninth or Tenth selves had done, he couldn't change what happened before this version of him came into being. He could only make choices of his own to ease the hurt of what had come before. His eyes still closed, he asked, "Was that the first time you met him? After he drove those monsters off?" After he killed a child to save millions. The Doctor wasn't condemning his old friend. Hadn't he done similar things, through the millennia? One child or millions … and when that child was dear to you … Ashildr huffed a bit, returning his attention to her and to the present.

"No. I found him for the first time after the Year, Doctor. It was after the Year and before he lost half of his team," Ashildr answered, still looking annoyed with him. Not that he blamed her, when he remembered the Year. The Year he helped to put into motion because of his hurt feelings. Could he really say that Harriet Jones was wrong? Perhaps, but as that man with the eyepatch (Colonel Fury) told his tenth self when he tried to interfere once, he didn't get a say in who led the country … whether that country was the United States or Britain. His arrogance caused so much pain … not just in the months that led up to that Year, but other times. Ashildr continued a little more calmly, "Perhaps it would be better to say that we found each other. My … someone dear to me had just died, and Jack was struggling in the wake of that Year."

There was a quiet sigh, and then Ashildr murmured, "Do you know, the American president Theodore Roosevelt once said something that is so very true of Jack, I could almost believe that he met Jack or knew of him?" The Doctor opened his eyes at that, and Ashildr inclined her head, continuing, "Indeed. Theodore Roosevelt once said, ' _It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat_.' It does sound like Jack."

That it did, and it did indeed sound as if the American president had known the immortal. On the other hand, who was to say that the two hadn't met? And then he thought about what that meeting might have entailed, and he shuddered. The Doctor murmured, "I have many regrets where Jack is concerned. Regrets you have no knowledge of. But do you know what my greatest regret is, at least where Jack is concerned?" Ashildr shook her head, and the Doctor leaned forward to stare into her eyes, saying softly, "I have never told him just how proud I am of him." On the contrary, his Tenth incarnation never stopped making it clear just how much of a disappointment he was. And his Eleventh self couldn't bring himself to reach out to his old friend once he realized that Jack was Rassilon's child, once he realized just how far his Tenth self had pushed the founder of their people. Shame … it, as much as pride, kept the Doctor from reaching out. Shame, as much as pride, kept him silent. Shame could be just as deadly as arrogance, or any other Time Lord sin.

Ashildr observed, "I wish I could tell you that he knows anyhow. He doesn't. But in truth, I don't think it matters to him anymore. He endured crucibles without your assistance. He doesn't need you any longer. But you will always need him. Even if he doesn't travel with you, you will _always_ need him." And that was true. The Doctor needed to know that somewhere out there, Captain Jack Harkness existed. That the mischievous young man he first met so long ago was still loving, still protecting, still saying 'hello.' That young man, as he was when the Doctor first met him, was long since gone … he'd died on the Gamestation … but he still lived. Ashildr continued, "Do you know what I find so ironic?" The Doctor arched a brow, and the woman who lived observed, "You blame Torchwood for the loss of your dear Rose … but Torchwood wouldn't exist, were it not for you and her."

The Doctor inhaled sharply, but he couldn't argue with her logic. Torchwood would not exist, were it not for him. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but that was the reality of this life … acknowledging, if only to himself, the mistakes he had made. Ashildr continued, "Torchwood, as flawed as it was and still is, had a good premise. And in the end, it was Torchwood that stood as protectors, rather than UNIT. And now, another organization is rising here in the United Kingdom … the appropriately-named Bulwark. I believe I will offer my services to Bulwark, which is headed by the daughter of one of your former allies." _Really? Which one_? Ashildr smirked a bit, saying, "Alicia Yates, the daughter of Captain Mike Yates, formed Bulwark in the wake of the Miracle. She decided that the days when ordinary people couldn't defend their planet are long gone. This is what Jack has done. He ended the Miracle, and the mortal people of this world have decided that he, and his little team, has fought alone long enough."

 _Oh, Jack_ … The Doctor finally managed to ask thickly, "And why aren't you with him now?" The corners of her mouth lifted, and he remembered what he had told her about why she couldn't travel with him, and muttered, "Never mind." She actually laughed at that. He thought about Lucas North, wondering if the young agent was with Torchwood yet, and about the Torchwood that was even now being rebuilt. He thought about the fiery bird of Earth legend, and how fitting the phoenix was for humanity as a whole, to say nothing of Jack Harkness. He thought of an angry, bitter young con artist, and a young girl/old woman who thought she stopped caring.

"I take care of the people you left behind, Doctor, just as I said I would. But Jack? Jack is a protector at heart, in a way that I am not. Jack needs to be out in the world, and right now, he needs to be away from Great Britain. After what Green and his people did to him, Jack needs to heal. He's receiving that healing from the Tregarth family, which is only right, since their patriarch set all of this in motion. Not that I hold the entire family responsible for it … in truth, I don't even really hold Carlyon Tregarth responsible. This was just a … just a tragic mess," Ashildr replied. The Doctor couldn't argue with that, nor could he argue when she added, her eyes hardening, "One that I'll help Jack clean up." Just as she had after the 456, it went without saying, and the Doctor swallowed hard.

There was so much he could have said. He could have protested that he told Ashildr about Jack so they could find each other … but she already knew that. And while they couldn't be traveling companions, they could be there for each other through the years. He could have told her that he truly did care for the con artist turned hero … but that wasn't the point. He could have also asked her to look after the human Fact … but she was already doing that, in her own way and on her own terms. In the end, what he said was, "If you need me …"

Her face softened and she replied, "I know. But one thing you must remember about both Jack Harkness and me? We land on our feet. We're like cats, really." The Doctor nodded, and as he caught sight of Clara, Ashildr added, "And Doctor, there is one other thing you need to remember about Jack Harkness … two, really. One, he is the most loyal, most forgiving soul on the planet. And two? Once he loves, he loves completely … whether we deserve it or not." The Doctor inclined his head, and began to walk toward his Companion. As she caught sight of him and began moving toward him more purposefully, the Doctor looked over his shoulder … and saw that Ashildr was no longer there. With a sad smile, he turned his attention to his affectionate young Companion, trusting in two old friends to take care of each other. And it might not be a bad idea to learn which Time Lord provided the technology that helped to create the Miracle. Although, he was sure he already knew …

TBC

Additional note: I was seventeen years old the first time I came across that quote from Teddy Roosevelt (senior English class), and it's haunted me ever since. It seemed perfect for Jack, for our beautiful, brilliant, loving, loyal, imperfect Jack. Although, in truth, it could be true of any of the Avengers … Tony, Steve, Clint, Natasha, Bruce, Thor … any of them. I'm not sure if I'll have the opportunity in this story to include the confrontation between Ten and Fury, but I wanted to at least make reference to it. I'm still working out whether Rassilon knows of Ashildr. Probably … I see Ashildr taking Donna under her wing, at least for a time, especially after Rass fixed it so that she could keep her memories without losing her life.


	4. Chapter 3: Taking the Long View

Author's Notes: Here's something interesting I've noticed … I'll start a chapter, and it just sits there. After a few days, I'll get the hint and move the section I started down a few pages, and then write something else … and things just flow from there. I think I have _Jurassic World_ to thank for this beginning, as I watched it on Saturday night (since the movies on TV didn't look even remotely appealing to me). Or maybe I just wanted to get the cesspool that is the Families out of the way as soon as possible … equal bet, either way. Oh, and before I forget … happy November to everyone! I hope everyone who celebrated Halloween had a great time. We are nine days from Veteran's Day; twenty-four days from Thanksgiving; and fifty-four days from Christmas. I have my youngest niece's gift bought, and I'll be ordering my parents' gifts within the next week or so. So. In this chapter, the Patriarch of the Families gets a reminder of just how badly they've failed recently and sets into motion events with far-reaching consequences; a neighbor of the Tregarths begins to settle into his new job; and the Nevada contingent have a journey of their own to begin.

Chapter Three

Taking the Long View

Chicago, IL

Families' Lair

"When I agreed to support you as the new leader of the Families, I really expected more. I've known you for years, and always thought that when you stepped out from behind your sister's shadow, you'd do amazing things. But this … this has been one disaster after another. Your sister, flawed as she was, had fewer disasters during her entire watch than you have in your single year as head of the Families."

The Patriarch was quietly fuming as he listened to his business partner's summation of recent events. The other man paced back and forth in the former principal's office (now the Patriarch's) of the abandoned church and school which the Families claimed as their own as he itemized, "To recap … first, there was the successful raid, carried out by Captain Harkness and Carlyon Tregarth to rescue Esther Drummond from your compound in New Mexico. That was embarrassing enough, but next came the business of the Pharma trying to recapture Captain Harkness, using Carlyon Tregarth's youngest granddaughter as bait. Your operative in that situation … ah, no. The Pharma was an arm of the Families, which means Lola Wycliffe was one of your operatives. And I repeat … she was quite fortunate that the Tregarths took the actions they did once they caught up with her. She got off lightly."

"Our intel said that the women Harkness associates with are weak … that if their children, or even the children in their lives, are threatened or taken, they'll turn him over without a second thought. We saw that with Cooper and even with Drummond. The footage from the thief's house proves that. Wycliffe had no reason to think that Natalie Tregarth would be any different. Why would she be? So far as anyone knew, she's a little nothing," the Patriarch pointed out mildly. The corners of his business partner's mouth quirked, though the smile never reached his blue eyes. The Patriarch reminded himself that this was not a man whom he wanted as an enemy. He was nearly as powerful as the Patriarch himself.

"Need I remind you that said 'little nothing' snuck under your radar, remained safely under your very noses for several months, and eventually assisted in the aforementioned rescue of Esther Drummond? At the very least, that should have prompted you to revisit your security protocols and hiring practices, as I have done. I would have thought that you would have learned not to underestimate her after that. People like that are dangerous, old friend, especially if they encourage you to underestimate them. And they'll be among the first ones taken out when the time comes. But … these screw-ups must stop. And we won't even discuss the recent disaster. Whatever possessed you to hire the likes of Gwen Cooper?" the blond man asked, shaking his head in bewilderment.

Now that, the Patriarch wasn't about to let pass. He said icily, "You and I both know that she was one of the women I mentioned, someone who would turn on Harkness without a second thought. Remove Martha Jones-Smith from the picture, and Harkness would come running … right to us." But the other man was shaking his head sadly, and the Patriarch's fury began rising once again. At least until the blond man began speaking, and the Patriarch was horrified to realize that he was one hundred percent right. Then again, at this point, he should have been used to that … the other man was almost always right.

"Now, you see … that's what I mean about disasters. Your sister took a long view, just as she was trained to do, while you're looking at the immediate future. Yes, Martha Jones-Smith is dear to Captain Harkness. Everyone knows that. But here is what you're forgetting … she was also a Companion to the Doctor. And her murder would have likely brought his attention to us. You would have attracted to the attention of the one being that not only could have ended us, but ensured that we would have all been destroyed before we had a chance to put our plans into action. Captain Harkness is dangerous, without a doubt … but his former mentor is far more dangerous," was the response, and the Patriarch suddenly found it hard to breathe.

He was right. He was totally and completely right. The Patriarch could see things playing out, exactly as the other man described it. While it was true that the Doctor would have likely blamed Harkness, since it was a former Torchwood operative who killed his former Companion (and the Doctor made it obvious to all and sundry that he despised both Torchwood and Harkness, according to a Cousin who was on the Valiant), it was also true that the Doctor would have ended them before they began in retaliation and to protect the peasants within humanity. His partner said softly, "And now, you begin to see. Leave Martha Jones-Smith alone. Leave her family alone. In fact, leave Captain Harkness alone. The last thing any of us want is his complete and undivided attention. He beat you once … you can only beat him if he doesn't see you coming, and he _will_ be looking out for you." The Patriarch bowed his head.

But even as his business partner was re-directing the conversation, the Patriarch was turning other possibilities over in his mind. He had an asset within SHIELD. A tech who lost his older sister, the mother of three young children, when Miracle Day ended. She'd been dying of cancer before they put the Miracle into play, and the asset was still a wreck. Perhaps it was time to put that asset into play. Besides, while he knew better than to underestimate his business partner, it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission … and if they succeeded in capturing Harkness this time, and containing him, then everything would be fine.

Everything would be _perfect_.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

SHIELD Helicarrier

Somewhere over the Southwest

Same time

He still couldn't believe he had this job … still couldn't believe that even after what he (along with the others) did to him, Captain Harkness had a word with Captain Rogers about him, about a job for him within SHIELD. And yet, he'd done it. True enough, he and the rest assisted the captain on more than one occasion since Dr. Owen Harper arrived in their community, but the fact remained … Charles Havelock helped to beat up the captain, had in fact killed him. And yet, not only did he forgive them, not only did he allow them to work with Torchwood, but when he learned of the job opening aboard the helicarrier, he suggest Chuck's name to Captain Rogers, who in turn mentioned it to Colonel Fury.

It had been three weeks since he started and Colonel Fury was already hinting at a possible promotion in the near future (which, in Fury-speak was the next year or so). Chuck would have been overwhelmed, if he'd allowed himself to think about it, and so, he focused instead on his job and getting to know his colleagues. He loved his job, and while there are a few of his colleagues that made him shake his head, he liked most of them. Of course, while he wasn't supposed to play favorites, there were some he liked better than others. Commander Hill definitely fell into that category. She had a reputation for being a bitch, and Chuck could see how some people would come to that conclusion … but Chuck had seen her quietly assisting a newcomer with a patience few would have expected.

Besides, she had a sense of humor that he liked. And she'd just given him a new reason. As soon as the Avengers' quinjet landed and everyone was led inside, Commander Hill greeted all of them with polite smiles and handshakes … but as soon as she saw Ailsa Tregarth, her eyes lit up and she crouched in front of the little girl, saying, "I understand today is your birthday." When Ailsa bobbed her head, Commander Hill continued, "Oh, good … I don't like it when I get faulty intelligence." She offered a mock-glower to someone, before returning her attention to Ailsa. She asked with a conspiratorial smile, "How would you like to see the entire helicarrier, before heading to the galley for cake and ice cream?"

The little girl nodded so fiercely, Chuck was afraid her head would come off her shoulders, and he heard Natalie murmur, ' _what do you say, sweetheart_?' Ailsa pouted and muttered, ' _I was getting ready to_!' Nat merely arched her brows with a small smile, and Ailsa offered Commander Hill her biggest and brightest smile, saying, "Thank you, Commander Hill! Mr. Tony didn't tell me that you were so nice!" Nat all but face-palmed at that, but it was then that Hill surprised everyone (including Chuck). With a warm smile for Natalie, Hill leaned forward, encouraging Ailsa to do the same. Chuck just hoped that they didn't bump heads.

In a stage whisper, she murmured, "I bet he told you that I was scary, didn't he?" Ailsa bobbed her head, and Hill went on, "I can be _really_ scary when Mr. Tony's around. But I don't have to be scary for you, do I?" Ailsa shook her head, and Hill offered her hand, which Ailsa took, and Hill observed, "Then c'mon … yes, you too, Captain Rogers. I don't think you've ever gotten a proper tour of this place, and your arrival before the Chitauri invasion definitely doesn't count." And if the pretty commander was checking out the defrosted captain, Chuck wasn't about to give her a hard time about it.

Ailsa gave a little bounce, right into the commander's arms, and Hill swept her up, settling her on her hip. She looked around at the people staring at her in shock and barked, "Is there a problem? No? Good … then get back to work!" Everyone turned their attention to their tasks (or, at least, pretended to), and Hill turned her attention back to Ailsa, smiling as she said, "Then, let's have a look around, shall we?" Ailsa bobbed her head again, and Hill led the Tregarths and Torchwood from the command center. Fury watched her go, a bemused expression on his face.

"I may end up regretting saying 'yes,' but I can't really regret it, either. I meant what I told Rogers when he initially asked … a helicarrier is no place for a child. But … Rogers doesn't usually ask for things, much less things like this," the director of SHIELD murmured as Chuck drew closer to him. Chuck didn't answer right away. Not because he didn't think Fury was talking to him … on the contrary, he'd learned that if Fury was speaking, it was to someone. He didn't talk to himself. And right now, Chuck was the only person near the director.

"Besides … Torchwood is an ally," Chuck pointed out and Fury inclined his head. And, because it was always in for a penny, in for a pound with SHIELD, Chuck observed, "You do know that Captain Harkness doesn't entirely trust you?" Yeah, he and the others all called the immortal by his given name, but he wasn't sure where Fury stood. The corners of the other man's mouth turned up into a wry smile. Which, from what he knew of Fury, was as good as a laugh coming from the director.

"Oh, I know. I don't entirely trust him, either. He has this annoying habit of flirting with me to try to distract me from something he doesn't think I need to know," Fury answered. Chuck couldn't help grinning at that, because that was absolutely something Jack would do. Fury added, "It wouldn't be nearly as annoying if he wasn't usually right … not only is it usually something I didn't _need_ to know, it's usually something that I didn't _want_ to know." It took all of Chuck's willpower to keep from laughing aloud. He had the feeling that it wasn't often that Nick Fury admitted that there were things he didn't need to know. Not often at all.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Safe Haven, Nevada (former Colasanto Compound)

"I just heard from Eleanor … they're boarding the plane now," Ianto Jones informed the rest of his odd little family as he joined them at the breakfast table. Rassilon inclined his head in thanks as he continued to eat his taco quiche, as prepared for him by Lily. Ianto offered the young girl a smile as she carefully placed his plate in front of him, continuing, "They're scheduled to land in fifteen hours, and Liam has already advised Mr. Pagonis to pick the three of them up at McCarran. Oh, thank you, Lily … do you think you'll be able to get more of this, the next time you go to Texas to visit your mum's family?"

Lily beamed at him, responding as she slid into the seat beside him, "Of course I can! Nana says that liking sweet tea is a sign of being civilized." Ianto wasn't sure about that, but he wasn't about to argue with Lily's grandmother, either. From what he was given to understand, it really didn't pay to argue with the lady in question. The girl continued, "Although, she wanted to know when she'll get to meet all of you. She wants to thank you, and Liam, for taking care of me since the end of Miracle Day." Across the table, Tosh was smirking, and Ianto gently kicked her ankle. But gently, though. Since she became involved with Jacob Glaser, Tosh had absolutely blossomed. Ianto wished Jack and Owen could see her … especially Jack. He'd be so proud of her. Then again, Ianto knew that he often was proud of her.

But it was Suzie who answered, "And does your grandmother know that you've been taking care of us? Case in point, this scrumptious breakfast?" Lily blushed and ducked her head. Suzie nodded with a small smile, adding, "Thought as much. I, however, will take great pleasure in explaining to her just how much you take care of us … even when you think that we aren't paying attention." She took another bite of her quiche, chewing thoughtfully. Ianto winked at Lily reassuringly, and Suzie swallowed her mouthful, adding, "Although, with the newest member of our little community, you'll need to find other ways to look after us. I didn't know him at all, but my understanding from Tosh and Ianto is that he was quite a good cook. At least, they were told that he was a good cook."

Ah, yes. Rhys Williams was joining them in Nevada. Ianto asked as Lily dug into her quiche, "Rassilon, what do you know of this? I'm guessing that Rhys was affected by the breaking of Dite's Favor, maybe even worse than Jack was." Rassilon nodded soberly, and Lily looked between them uncertainly. Ianto nudged her to keep eating, and she smiled ruefully, returning her attention to wolfing down her breakfast. He should have thought to bring that up with Rassilon later, maybe when Lily returned to the main house to make sure Liam's room was ready for him. But, the cat was out of the bag now.

"It was worse … it set his recovery from his own gunshot wound back several weeks," was the response, and Ianto winced. Rassilon went on, "But enough of sad subjects. Next month, dear boy, is the anniversary of your rebirth. Have you thought about how you're going to celebrate?" Ianto glowered at Rassilon, even as Lily brightened. Rassilon merely smiled, adding, "You can think of it as a second birthday. I know Lily would enjoy planning such a party for you." Lily all but bounced in her seat, and Ianto increased his glower at the Time Lord. That was playing dirty, but after spending nearly a year with Rassilon, he should have expected that.

"We'll talk about that later. But … things will be awkward at first with Rhys," Tosh pointed out quietly and Ianto inclined his head in agreement. Yes, he'd been thinking the same thing when Liam told them of his journey to London with Eleanor. It wasn't usually Liam's task, but it was Rassilon's opinion (and Ianto was forced to agree) that there was too much baggage where he and Tosh were concerned. This was to be a fresh start for Rhys, and he couldn't make a decision about a new start with old baggage. It would have to be dealt with, and soon, but this way, the specter of the past wasn't nudging Rhys in any particular direction.

And Eleanor … during the last eight months, Eleanor found a place with them as a counselor. She didn't have a degree in psychology, but she had nearly two hundred years of experience with a variety of people. True, some of that was spent 'asleep,' but not much. She accompanied Liam more for the barrister's sake than for Rhys.' Liam was struggling as Olivia began to heal from her burns. The more she healed, the more demanding she became, and Liam was torn between familial loyalty and his desire to tell her exactly what she could do with her demands.

Eleanor wouldn't advise any of them what to do … as she put it, she hadn't lived their lives or experienced what they had. However, she did listen and she would offer suggestions, and right now, more than anything, Liam needed someone who would listen to him. That, and someone to ram her foot up his arse on occasion. On the other hand, while Suzie wasn't all that good at the former, she was terrifyingly good at the latter. Of course, there was also the added complication of Suzie's relationship with Liam. Ianto wasn't all that interested in the sexual antics of his 'older sister,' but when he kept finding her and Liam in compromising positions all over the estate, it somewhat made it his business (he knew better than to voice this to Tosh, especially after the times she found him and Jack in similar compromising positions).

Koschei observed, bringing Ianto's attention back to the conversation, "Indeed, it will be awkward, but you've been able to come to terms with having the Time Lord who tortured your captain as a flat mate. After that, everything is easy-peasy." Easy … peasy? Ianto looked at the Time Lord, who actually blushed, and Koschei mumbled, "I've learned a few things from the apes around here, Jonesy." Jonesy? Ianto's brows nearly reached his hairline. _Jonesy_?

" _Please_ don't ever call him that again, Koschei. It isn't often that I say this, but that actually offends my sensibilities. And I didn't think I had any sensibilities to offend after being awakened during the Time War," Rassilon sighed and the younger Time Lord looked even more sheepish. The humans smirked or giggled at each other, and Rassilon continued, "Now, if you're quite finished traumatizing poor Lily, we have other things to discuss. Lily … one of Rhys' conditions was, he wanted to confront Olivia with her kidnapping of him and Anwen. I have no issue with that condition, and will in fact support him when that confrontation comes. That being said, I do not want Rhys in the main house. He'll be staying her in the cottage."

"Way ahead of you, Rass. I have the bedroom that John Winchester used while he was here ready for him. I don't think any of us are ready for that confrontation, not even Mr. Williams himself. That would be about like a confrontation between Ianto and Angelo," Lily answered with a full-body shudder. Ianto blinked … wait, what? Where did that come from? He also didn't miss the calculating gleam in Rassilon's eyes. He would have said something to Lily about putting ideas in Rassilon's head, but as he well knew, the Time Lord probably already thought of it himself … most likely several months earlier.

"Oh, I dunno about that, Lily … that might be fun," Koschei observed with a mischievous grin. Ianto glared at him, which impressed the younger Time Lord not at all. Koschei continued, "That would be a _lot_ of fun, actually." Tosh and Suzie exchanged a glance and then pushed themselves back from the table, Suzie snagging the back of Lily's shirt at the same time. Koschei added, still smirking, "No need for that, girls. Ianto won't do anything right here and right now. He'll wait until later to make me pay, when he doesn't need to worry about you three getting caught in the crossfire." Yes … yes, that was exactly what Ianto would do. But for now, he had something else on his mind.

"You're going to arrange a meeting, aren't you, Rassilon?" he questioned, turning his attention back to the older Time Lord. Rassilon's eyes were steady upon his face, and Ianto continued, "A meeting between me and Angelo Colasanto. Not for your own pleasure, no … you have other ways of creating entertainment for yourself. Oh, such a meeting would entertain you, but that's not why you'll do it." Rassilon, at the risk of repeating himself, never did something for just one reason. That was as true in this case as in all cases.

"Oh, I won't have to arrange a meeting between you, Ianto Jones … you're going to insist upon one. I think it's time you … all of you … saw how the Miracle began in 1928. Don't you agree, Koschei?" Rassilon observed. The younger Time Lord swallowed hard, but to his credit, he never looked away from his Prime. Ianto looked at Suzie, who nodded slightly. She whispered something to Lily which caused the girl to scurry off. Ianto glanced from Suzie to Tosh, and she nodded as well. It was long past time they saw this part of their captain's past.

And with his two 'sisters' in agreement, Ianto Jones said simply, "We're ready."

TBC

Additional Author's Notes: First and foremost … the new lair for the Families is inspired by St. Laurence Church and School in Chicago, IL. It was recently demolished after being abandoned for more than ten years, but when I was doing research for this chapter, I saw a picture of it and it was exactly what I wanted for the lair. As for why the Families are using an abandoned church as their new headquarters? Simple. In the first place, they're good at hiding in plain sight. They did it for more than eighty years, after all. And secondly, they play God.


	5. Chapter 4: Who We Live For

Author's Notes: I had to rename the chapter, and make a few other changes in light of the recent attacks … that, as much as trying to work out what part of the story I wanted to tell, slowed me down. I also wanted to work out what I should say. It's been a rough few weeks for people all over the world … Russia, Paris, Mali in particular. I don't know how many readers I have in this series from the affected countries, but if you're out there, know that I grieve with you. If you can accept prayers, then I've offered mine up gladly. If not, then I hope I can at least offer an escape, even for a few minutes. With regards to this chapter … remember when Alice told me that she wanted a separate story for the confrontation between herself and Carlyon? Yeah, she walked that back … so you'll get that encounter (or rather, Alice's memory of that encounter) in this chapter. Finally, before we get to the summary, I'm in the process of mentally reworking certain aspects of this past episode of _Doctor Who_ (mainly Ashildr's part in the way things fell out). Okay … so, in this chapter, Alice struggles with her resentment toward two members of the Tregarth family; Natalie and Clint discuss her two recent brushes with death; while the Family asset is alerted to what is expected of him. And, finally, Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans!

Chapter Four

Who We Live For

Bridge of the Helicarrier

Same Day

She'd been strong enough to make the trip up to the SHIELD helicarrier … but her energy ran out before they even left the bridge. So, Alice Carter sat at one of the empty stations, watching in amusement as Angel charmed everyone on the bridge (including Nick Fury himself, who was trying to pretend otherwise). Charles Havelock sat down beside her, observing as he watched Angel as well, "They're cute at that age … but she'll be hitting her terrible twos before too much longer." Alice snorted at that, because 'hitting' was a bit of a misnomer. She was already there, at least at the beginning stages. Chuck added with more than a touch of amusement, "Then again, the terrible twos cover a lot of ground … sometimes, it starts at eighteen months and doesn't end until the kid is four or so."

"Well, she's already decided that she likes the sound of ' _no_ ,' and doesn't hesitate to use it. Especially around Rex. God help us when she gets to the part where she realizes that she's cute and knows it," Alice answered. She smiled a bit distantly, murmuring, "Steven did that. He …" She stopped, because although she was slowly healing from the loss of her child, there were still sharp edges. Chuck put his hand over hers, and she smiled at him, blinking back tears. She missed him so much, and while Angel eased some of that pain … the truth was, Alice was starting to look forward to death, because it meant she would be reunited with her son.

And Chuck, bless him, didn't say anything about her little boy, or about her father. Instead, he murmured, "She may be in her terrible twos, but she's still a blessing. Children are the true blessings, not immortality, in any of its forms. I learned that on the Valiant." Alice looked at her friend's husband … she'd heard that he was on the Valiant at the same time as her father, but this was the first time he spoke of that time. Charles continued in that soft voice, "Even before the Abomination, I knew that immortality was a curse. To die and come back, to see people you loved and wanted to protect … to see them die. It's a curse."

Yes. Yes, Angel was a blessing … and Alice knew, she knew, that the little girl was one of the reasons why she was still alive, while she was still fighting the disease that ravaged her body. The child already lost one mother, and soon enough, she would lose another, but until then, Alice would keep fighting. Alice said softly as Angel pulled herself up using the pant leg of one of the techs on the helicarrier, his hand steady on her back, "The creators of the Abomination are evil, Chuck. Whether you mean the Families or those who helped them put the Abomination into place, they're evil. Not misguided, not misunderstood, but evil. They're no different from HYDRA or the Chitauri … or the Master."

She fell silent as she watched the tech lift Angel into his lap, keeping an arm around her as she played with his free hand, and thought about what she learned about the Master since she came to live with the Tregarths, and about the Year that never happened. The same Year that Chuck experienced while working on the Valiant. The same Year that the Tregarths remembered, but she didn't. Why? What made them so special? She mentally shook her head, because her resentment of Carlyon Tregarth was pushing to the surface once more. She had every right to resent him, but after nearly eight months, she thought she'd put it behind her.

Except … she hadn't and she was beginning to fear that she never would. The resentment continued to simmer, just below the surface, even as she tried to focus on spending as much of her remaining time just being alive and forgiving her father. Alice had to admit a large part of her resentment came not just from Carlyon's actions more than forty-five years earlier, but from the way he'd chosen to tell her the truth about 1965. Yes, that continued to burn even now. She'd been sitting in her room at the Tregarth vacation home while Natalie and Lucas were being released from hospital. Angel was napping, and Alice was resting. She hadn't been alone in the house … Dad was helping Esther to get the rooms ready (although it sounded like they were doing other things), and Priscilla was in the kitchen … happy-baking for once, welcome-baking, instead of stress-baking. Alice was alone in her room, aside from Angel, when Carlyon Tregarth walked into the room and looked at her with those haunted dark eyes, and said in a low voice, "You are Melissa Moretti, daughter of Jack Harkness and Lucia Moretti … and I am Carlyon Tregarth, I am the reason your son is dead."

It sucked as a hello, but it wasn't intended to be a hello. It wasn't intended to be kind. Nor did Alice take it as such. Instead, she stared up at the tall, elderly man and asked, "Then tell me why?" She was there when her father chose to sacrifice Steven to save millions of children. But she wasn't there at the beginning, when this man tasked her father with the transportation of a dozen children to be given to the 456. She wanted to know why. Even though Sophia Tregarth told her what she knew about what happened back then, Alice wanted to hear the truth from this man, from the instigator. As Sophia pointed out, he would have answers to questions she didn't.

And Carlyon Tregarth answered honestly, even brutally, "Because I had given everything to Torchwood … I wasn't willing to lose my wife, or our unborn daughter. It's interesting, really. At every turn, I was warned … my wife warned me that the cure wouldn't work on her, and I didn't listen. She spent more than forty years in a coma that may have been unnecessary. Jack warned me that if we gave into their demands, the 456 would be back … and in the end, he had to take the actions we refused to take in 1965. I should have listened to him in the beginning. Or gone with my final threat, and given that assignment to your mother."

Alice physically jerked back at this revelation, and stared up at the old man. He smiled bitterly, adding, "Oh, yes. That was what I did, to convince your father to take those children. I know that Sophia told you some of the truth, what she knew. And I know that she implied that your father only agreed to my demands to prevent something worse from happening. She's right. I threatened to have your mother, then a rookie, take those children in his place. She'd only been with Torchwood for six months, and I knew I could use that idealism against her. I also knew that if I gave her that assignment, she'd be dead within the year from the guilt. If she didn't directly take her own life, she'd choose the suicide-by-alien route. Jack knew that as well. That was the _only_ reason he agreed, even after I unleashed my daughters against him. His choices were to bear that burden himself, or let your mother do it in his stead."

Alice had wanted to rail at the man. Wanted to scream and hit him, as she had after Steven's death. Carlyon stared at her impassively before continuing, "And do you know, I would do it again? I would choose my wife and daughter over your mother and son again, without a second of hesitation … but the difference this time would be, I wouldn't hurt Jack to do it. Strange thing is, he took sole responsibility for that mess back in 1965 by telling his team in 2009 that he was chosen because he didn't care. But the truth is, your father has always … _always_ … cared entirely too much. And he's not selfish like me."

She was startled out of her memories by Chuck Havelock murmuring, "I wouldn't swear to anything, but it wouldn't surprise me if Natalie is pregnant." Alice looked up, and he went on, "She's … different. It isn't just that she was sick this morning, although I could tell that as soon as y'all arrived. There's … something different in the way she carries herself, even though she probably isn't aware of it." The final piece of the puzzle slipped into place, and that rage surged through Alice's soul once more. Natalie … the child who lived when her own Steven died … was pregnant. And not only was she pregnant, but she was pregnant with Alice's own brother or sister. How could she bear that? How could she bear the knowledge that someone who only lived because her son died would bear her father, Steven's grandfather, a child? Rage … no, not rage, **hatred** for Natalie Tregarth rose in Alice's chest and threatened to strangle her. Chuck's hand tightened over hers and he whispered, "She doesn't deserve your hatred."

No. No, she didn't, and Alice knew that. But that didn't stop her from resenting the other woman, because she was alive and Steven was dead, and …and Natalie knew that. She could see it in the other woman's eyes. It hadn't escaped her notice that while Carlyon Tregarth's youngest daughter was unfailingly kind to her, kind and helpful, she also kept her distance, as if realizing that Alice couldn't bear to be around her. Chuck went on, his voice still very soft, "Ever since she found out the truth, Natalie has been trying to live for Steven … trying to honor him with the choices she makes."

She thought of Natalie tackling Martha Jones Smith to the ground and taking the bullet meant for her, and couldn't disagree. But … Steven was dead. Natalie was alive, and none of the choices she made from here on out could change that. Only the choices of her father could have changed things, her father and Alice's father, and that's when it hit her. She murmured, "The sins of the father." She was punishing Natalie for the sins of both their fathers, but like Natalie, Alice was living for her son. There was something more than she was supposed to do, to honor her son. And that was to find a way to forgive a woman for being alive, a man for making the same choices Alice herself would have made … and her father for making the choices no one else could. And her time was running out.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

SHIELD Helicarrier

"So … what's he like in bed?"

Natalie Tregarth's brows shot into her hairline as she looked at her companion. Fortunately, her daughter was still happily ensconced in the arms of Maria Hill … fortunately, because this really wasn't a conversation Nat wanted to be having where Ailsa could hear it. There were some things that were fit for the hearing of a six year old. Her mother's sex life was not at the top of that list. Actually, the same was true of a thirty-six year old. Clint Barton flushed a bit, adding, "Okay, so I'm not really that interested in how Harkness is in bed. I'm more interested in how the hell that works … that sex pollen business, that is."

"More to the point, you're trying to understand how screwing like bunnies could save anyone's life?" Nat observed softly with a faint smile. Clint offered a small shrug, and Nat went on, "According to Jack, this is how it works. Intercourse releases endorphins, right? That's what I'm told at least. Anyhow, those endorphins … the chemicals that make them up … they are kinda like antibodies to the sex pollen, or whatever that was. That's part of it … the other part had something to do with burning off energy. I honestly didn't understand that part of it. I kinda sucked at science in school when it came to chemistry and energy and things of that nature. Biology, I was okay at … oh, stop it!"

This was said in response to Clint's impish grin, along with a smack to his shoulder. Clint just laughed, pointing out, "I didn't say anything, but even you have to admit that if I did, you walked right into it!" Nat responded with the eternally mature gesture of sticking out her tongue, and Clint wrapped a companionable arm around her shoulders once more. He said as they continued to walk, "Well, regardless of the science, I'm glad you're okay … I'm glad that he was there for you." Yeah … yeah, so was she. She was even more relieved that it hadn't made things strange between them … or between her and Esther.

She said as much, adding, "I'm glad, too, that Captain Rogers can look at me without blushing." Clint actually laughed at that, giving her a quick, one-armed hug. Natalie explained, "I know when he's from, and I know …" Clint silenced her by drawing her to a stop and putting both hands on her shoulders and lowering his head until their eyes were (more or less) level. Natalie bit her lip, giving her friend a slight nod to indicate that she would hear whatever he had to say.

"Steve knows the circumstances … and he knows that you would have died. He also regards it as none of his business. Captain Harkness only told him because he wanted us to be aware of what the Rift could do. And once he told us the story, you know what the first words out of Steve's mouth were? 'Are Natalie and Rex okay?' This has nothing to do with morality, Nat, and it has everything to do with survival. If Harkness hadn't gone to you, you would have died … would have burned from the inside out, and that wasn't an acceptable outcome, especially not after surviving a damn gunshot wound," Clint answered.

He released her shoulders long enough to wrap his arm around her waist, and they began walking again. Nat murmured, "It's worse than that. Jack was telling me that I would have reached a certain point where I wouldn't have cared what I … who I … whether they were family or not." Clint thought that one through and paled. Natalie choked out, "My own daughter, Clint … it really doesn't bear thinking about, does it?" He shook his head, his arm tightening around her protectively. Even now, two months later, Natalie struggled to wrap her mind around it.

Not for the first time, Natalie wondered if her family did enough for Jack, considering what he'd done for them. So many times he'd saved them … her father, her mother, her sisters, Natalie herself, Esther. He'd done so much for them, and more and more, Natalie was thinking that they didn't appreciate him nearly enough. It certainly wasn't the first time such a thought entered her mind … she had a vague recollection of thinking it as she lay in bed, recovering from a gunshot wound, curled up against Jack. However, while the thought occurred to her more than once, she really, really needed to do something about it.

The question was, what? Jack was more than capable of taking care of himself … God knew he had enough experience doing it. The man had lived nearly two hundred years if you didn't count the two thousand years he spent buried alive (which Natalie didn't). _An opportunity will present itself_ , she told herself as she continued talking with Clint … _it doesn't have to be anything big. Just finding something at the grocery store that you know he likes … that counts, doesn't it?_

TWTWTWTWTWTW

He was thirteen years old when he first realized that he would die to protect his older sister. He was thirteen and she was twenty-one, and she came home from college in tears because someone she'd been dating cheated on her. He never forgot the sight of his sister's tears, and he never forgot the impotent fury that threatened to choke him when he couldn't ease her pain. He had thought, in the years that followed, that he would never feel that way again, as his sister blossomed into a fierce, confident wife and mother.

And then came the cancer diagnosis. His vibrant, joyful big sister had cancer and would be dead before the year was out. Oh, she fought it … fought it with every bit of strength in her slight body. Day by day, she grew weaker and weaker. And then … it happened. The Miracle. Moments away from taking her final breath, it happened. No one died. For two months, his sister continued to live, moment by precious moment. Until the day … she simply died. He could still remember it … sitting in her room at home, while her son and daughter slept in the living room. His sister had simply breathed, ' _oh_ ,' and then she died, leaving her children without a mother and leaving Cary without his sister.

Someone had ended the Miracle. Someone had ended the Miracle, and with it, his sister's life. He vowed at his sister's gravesite, unable to look at his weeping brother-in-law and sobbing niece and nephew, that he would find out who created the Miracle to thank them. And when he did, he would ask to help take out the bastard who ended the Miracle. For all these months, he'd waited. And just now, as he sat on the bridge of the helicarrier, he received word from his sister's would-be saviors … not only did they know who ended the Miracle, but that bastard was even now on the helicarrier.

Cary, in the beginning, wanted to take the bastard's daughter and give her back to the Families. But, no … no, they didn't want to lure the bastard back to them. They wanted him. And so, it was Cary's job to retrieve him and sent him to the Families. It was a job he had no intention of failing at … regardless of the consequences to himself and humanity. He just had to wait for the right time, and then he would send Harkness to hell where he belonged.

TBC

Additional Note: On November 22nd, 2015, at 12:30 in the morning, my great-nephew made his entrance into the world. He was seven pounds and four ounces, twenty-one inches long, and he is beautiful. Welcome, Glenn … we're so very glad you're here!


	6. Chapter 5: Misdirection

Author's Notes: So, I've shaken off my food coma (which was helped along by two and a half glasses of sangria), and once I had some caffeine in my system, I started working on this chapter. There are a few chapters in this which I've wanted to write from the moment this story started forming in my head. This chapter is one of them (we'll get back to the helicarrier, the Avengers, and Torchwood Oklahoma in the next chapter). There were so many ' _whiskey tango foxtrot'_ moments in Miracle Day, but the one that really threw me was Jack digging his coat out on the top of the roof after he'd been murdered repeatedly. All I could think was, ' _when did he find time to do that and why the hell did he do it_?' I hope my explanation works for you, because that was … wow. (shakes head) Another thing I wanted to explore was how the team would react to the inception of Miracle Day. I don't believe Tosh is weak, but she _is_ very sensitive, and she could only handle seeing Jack hurt so much. Thus, she was the one who noticed Angelo, and noticed his changing reactions as the night progressed. Ianto, I think, would force himself to watch, to bear silent witness to Jack's suffering, while Suzie would be planning all the different ways she could hurt the Families in turn. So. In this chapter, Torchwood Cardiff sees exactly what happened the night the Miracle was conceived; while Angelo encounters three _very_ angry young people (and references are made to a past meeting with Rassilon).

Reviewer responses:

DomIantoRules: Thank you! I can't wait to meet him!

Chapter Five

Misdirection

New York City, NY

1928

There were so many times while she was in Torchwood when she wished Jack wasn't quite so mysterious … when she wished that they knew even a little more about him. It was only human nature, really … to know more about someone who was so very important to you, who saved you in every way you could imagine (and figured out ways around rules that kept you from seeing the people you loved most). That desire began to change when they met the original Captain Jack Harkness, when she began to see past what he wanted her to see. It changed more after Abaddon … and when he returned after three months away with haunted eyes, and yet somehow more peaceful. But that curiosity remained. Until now. Now, Toshiko Sato was starting to understand the meaning of ' _be careful what you wish for-you might just get it_.'

Rassilon had transported the four of them … herself, Ianto, Koschei and Suzie … through the rift into this badly-lit basement (at least, she assumed it was a basement. Yes, Tosh knew she could get herself into trouble by making assumptions). Ianto asked in a whisper what they were doing there, and Rassilon murmured, ' _be patient, child. You'll find out soon enough._ ' There was an ominous tone to the Time Lord's voice that left not just Tosh, but Suzie and Ianto, twitching. And Koschei … Koschei actually looked ashamed. It wasn't a look she was accustomed to seeing on him, and that, as much as anything, worried her.

She was right to be worried. Only moments after their arrival, three figures made their way down the stairs, carrying a limp body … a limp body that belonged to her currently-dead captain. Tosh swallowed hard as Jack was tied to a fixture. Suzie stilled beside her, and Ianto swore under his breath in English and Welsh. Koschei said grimly, "Prepare yourselves, children … it gets worse from here." Tosh looked at the younger Time Lord sharply, but couldn't bring herself to ask. Not when his expression was … like that. And Rassilon … he only looked heartbroken.

And with that timing of hers, Suzie looked over at Ianto and said, "You do realize that Jack always let you think he didn't understand Welsh." Tosh's head snapped around to look at Suzie, who continued, "Jack is all about misdirection … he lets you think that he doesn't take things seriously, lets you think that he's a joking idiot, lets you think he's just a randy playboy, when the truth is, you're seeing exactly what he wants you to see. He's all about misdirection. It's his way of gathering information, and his way of protecting himself."

 _Oh_. Rassilon said softly, "My son was a con artist at one time, children. Misdirection is a tool he learned to use to his advantage. Or rather, it was a tool he learned from the Time Agency and his stint as a con artist allowed him to hone that skill." Tosh had the impression that he would have said more, but a scream tore through the air and she looked around, horrified … but she was even more horrified when she discovered the source of the scream. It was Jack … Jack being stabbed and shot and hurt, and _oh, God, make them stop_! Rassilon said grimly, "And so it begins." Begins? Oh, yes … it was only the beginning. Tosh could only watch for the first hour … watch as her captain was murdered, revived, and murdered again.

She hated herself for her cowardice, but after an hour, she couldn't bear to see her strong, fierce captain suffering so much. And so, she looked around at the crowd gathered while Suzie was explaining that Jack knew Welsh, but used their supposition that he didn't as a misdirection, while Rassilon was expanding on that inquiry. And her eyes landed on a young man … very young indeed. She would have been surprised if he had even reached his twenty-fifth birthday. As the hours passed, his expression changed from scornful and angry to horrified and ashamed … to simply ashamed. Rassilon murmured, "That is Angelo Colasanto. You'll be meeting him shortly. He killed my son … watched him revive … and then killed him again to demonstrate his return to life to the owners of this building." And that sentence there told Tosh that there was far more to the story than what Rassilon said so far. Then again, there always was.

Tosh was able to look at Jack once during the horrible night that followed, see his exhaustion as he died and came back, as the monsters in human flesh in this basement collected his blood. She remembered Abaddon, and understood now why Jack kept his secrets. But … she shouldn't have needed to see this. Once she realized that Jack was immortal … Tosh stopped and thought that through. Rassilon wanted her … wanted them all … to see this. Why? Because he wanted them to understand why his son kept secrets, or …?

Suzie breathed, "At last … I didn't know how much more of that I could watch." Tosh looked up to see the young man … Angelo Colasanto … cutting Jack down and cleaning him with incredible tenderness. Suzie saw the same, looked over at Rassilon, and asked, "Jack and Angelo … they were lovers, weren't they?" Tosh looked back at Suzie, and the other woman's expression told her that she wasn't really asking … she was stating. Again, Rassilon nodded, his eyes never leaving the huddled, shivering form of his son, and for the first time, Tosh noticed the tears in his eyes. Were they there all along? Of course they were … this was his baby, how could he not be weeping at what he saw?

But all he said was, ' **listen**.' And listen they did, as Jack tiredly asked about the three men he'd seen, buying his blood (' _The Families_ ,' Ianto breathed, and Koschei nodded). They listened as Angelo apologized, telling Jack that he'd wanted to intervene, but had been too frightened (' _ **he**_ _was scared? How does he think Jack felt_?' Tosh couldn't help but blurt out), and finally as Jack was able to stand. Tosh was silently begging him to move faster, so the Families didn't catch him again. And then, they were on top of the building, where Jack was removing … his coat? Suzie muttered, "When the hell did he have a chance to stash that?"

"Jack has caches all over the world … supplies, spare clothing, the like. Where most people put their caches below ground, Jack tends to put his on rooftops. As Ianto himself has said, Jack is good on rooftops … I think sometimes that's where he feels safest. When he was living here the previous year, before the mission that left Jack temporarily dead and Angelo incarcerated, Jack turned this rooftop into one of the aforementioned caches," Rassilon answered. Tosh nodded, returning her attention to Jack and Angelo. She couldn't help the gasp that escaped her when Jack fell backward from the ledge and Angelo cried out in horror. Jack's words echoed in Tosh's mind, ' _men like you kill me_.' Just as they had.

Angelo raced down the stairs, but Suzie muttered, "Don't bother, kid … he won't be there when you get there." But even she looked somewhat sympathetic … reluctantly, but it was there, nonetheless. Ianto … Ianto looked enraged, and Suzie snarked, "Don't be so self-righteous, Jones! You're the one who told Jack there would come a time when you would have the chance to help him, but would let him suffer."

Ianto looked even angrier at that reminder, and Tosh wanted to point out to Suzie that Ianto wasn't really thinking clearly at the time, but Koschei stopped the argument before it could start, saying, "And I tortured Jack for a full Year, so I'd say out of the four of us, my sins are the greatest! Don't start, you two … Jack deserves better than that. Besides, if I know my Lord Prime, it's time for us to move a bit forward and meet a slightly older version of Angelo Colasanto." Tosh looked at Rassilon, who inclined his head, and Koschei muttered, "And I don't believe I just took up for Jones. Ugh, what are you apes _doing_ to me?"

The words were out of Tosh's mouth before she could stop them, asking pertly, "Well, I don't know, Koschei … what do you _want_ us to do to you?" She clapped both hands over her mouth, horrified at her cheek (especially in the wake of what they had just witnessed), but after a long, stunned moment of silence, Suzie just roared with laughter and Ianto winked at her. Koschei stared at her in shock, before a broad smile spread across his face. Rassilon allowed a small smile of his own to appear, and it took all of Tosh's self-control to keep from melting somewhere, anywhere no one would find her. Even so, she couldn't help but think Jack would be proud of her if he'd heard her say that. He wasn't here to hear her, but his father _was_.

"Well done, little one! I'm truly proud of you, and I know Jack would be, too! But … before I take you a few years into the future, there's one more thing you need to see, to understand how Miracle Day began. The meeting between the heads of the Families … and a Time Lord," Rassilon said quietly. And now, the last pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place for Tosh … including Koschei's guilty expression. Their world once again … shifted … and they found themselves on a street, watching as three men encountered a fourth in … rather interesting clothing. Tosh was no fashionista, but this had even her raising her eyebrows. Rassilon murmured out of the corner of his mouth, "Time Lords tend to have rather interesting fashion choices. We don't go for the practical, but for the dramatic." Yes. So Tosh noticed.

They watched the interaction between this previous version of the Master and the monsters in human flesh, Koschei quietly filling them in on what his plan was. Not surprisingly, he intended to kill the Families once they were no longer of use to him (' _for once, I'm in agreement with you_ ,' Ianto muttered when this was revealed). And, he wasn't sure what he planned to do with Jack. Perhaps entice him into a partnership … after all, this was far from the first, or last, time something like this happened to him. (Suzie looked sick at that.) They were all quiet for several moments, as the past Master swept off in his black cloak.

At last, Ianto looked at her and Suzie, saying, "Rassilon has told us that it's not time for us to meet Jack again. For the first time, I'm glad of that. We all … Jack wouldn't want us to see him like this. And we all … we all need time to process what we've seen tonight." Ianto was right. Jack wouldn't want any of them to see this. He hated being vulnerable before them, always felt like he failed them in some way. It was foolish, of course … Jack was immortal, but he was still (mostly) human. And really, if Jack felt that he couldn't let down his guard in front of them, if he had to be invulnerable for them … maybe they were the ones who failed him?

Tosh didn't say that. They were all reeling from what they'd seen that night. As Rassilon once more led them through the Rift, this time to … home? Only it wasn't their home. Not yet. But Tosh immediately recognized the structure that would become Safe Haven. Ianto's arm wrapped around her shoulders, and she leaned into him. They had been friends for years, but now, they were becoming siblings … brother and sister. Or, maybe they had been brother and sister all along, and they were just now realizing it. Maybe that was the truth. One thing, however, was very true … it would take Tosh months to come to terms with what she'd seen tonight.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

Colasanto Cottage, Nevada

1938

He sat alone in his study, carefully double-checking his figures as he waited for his wife to tell him that the boys were ready to be tucked in. Yes … everything looked right. Angelo Colasanto sat back, leaning his head against the back of the chair as he thought through what he wanted to do. Six months earlier, he'd received a visitor in this very study … the Time Lord Rassilon, who was the father of Jack Harkness. As ever, an image of his former lover appeared in his mind's eye as he thought his name, and Angelo swallowed hard. Lord Rassilon had every right to end his life, after what he'd done to Jack. But he hadn't, and Angelo was determined not to squander that gift. It was his actions that led to that horrible night, and if Jack said that he saw three men buying his blood from the butcher … then he did, and Angelo would find out what they meant to do with that blood. And if one thing didn't work, perhaps another way would.

As ever, his mind drifted back to the night, six months earlier, when he first met Rassilon. He'd been working on another project when he heard a throat being cleared. Angelo looked up, thinking that Talia was coming in as she often did once the boys were sleeping. Instead, he found a man standing there. His reaction was immediate and instinctive … Angelo was on his feet (where was Talia? Were she and the boys all right?), reaching for a pistol in the top drawer of his desk. The other man moved, faster than any human could have anticipated and removed the gun from Angelo's hand, saying a bit reproachfully, "Now, there's no need for that. I merely want to talk to you, Mr. Colasanto. About the reason you have this lovely home, your beautiful wife, and your darling little boys. Now, now, none of that. I will not harm them. You hurt my son … that doesn't mean I'll hurt your sons."

Angelo froze. The reason he had this house … he'd listened to Jack, when the other man told him a little of what to expect in the coming months. But what did he have to do with this man? He thought about what Jack had told him again, and kept coming up without answers, so he growled (because he feared for his wife and sons, _please God, keep them safe_ ), "Who … are … you?" And then, the man did … something. Angelo wasn't even sure what he did, but … it seemed familiar. He ran the words through his mind again. Not just ' _the reason you have this lovely home, your beautiful wife, and your darling little boys_ ,' but the last sentence. ' _You hurt my son … that doesn't mean I'll hurt your sons_.'

' _You hurt my son_.' Angelo murmured as he began to put the pieces together, "Wait. You said you were here about the reason I had everything I do have … the reason I made it through the Depression. But that's impossible, how would you know about him?" And that was when Angelo's world was rocked to its very foundations. The answer was so simple … far too simple … and far too devastating to a man who already grieved for the way he betrayed someone whom he loved, someone who had trusted him.

"Because he is my son," the man said simply. Angelo felt his heart drop and he felt himself literally staggering away from this man … from Jack's father. Jack's father. Dio mio, what had he done? He collapsed into his chair, crossing himself before burying his face in his hands, muttering under his breath in Italian. The man … Jack's father … was at his side immediately, kneeling before him (which was all wrong … Angelo should be on his knees before him, not the other way around), and said, "Listen to me! I am not here to kill you or to harm you. I am here to ask for your help." Angelo raised his head to look at Jack's father and asked the only reasonable question, under the circumstances.

"Why not?" Jack's father blinked, as if astonished, and Angelo all but wailed, "Why aren't you here to kill me? If someone did that to my sons, to Giacomo or Pietro, I would kill them! I would bury them in a place where no one would find them!" And then he said something in Italian that Jack's father shouldn't have understood, but did. He blinked in astonishment before shaking his head. Angelo forced himself to say, because he had to hear the words, "You will not kill my boys or my Talia for my sins?" Again, Jack's father shook his head.

"No. I'm not interested in harming your wife or your sons … especially not since your older child bears my son's name. Whose idea was that … yours or your wife's?" Rassilon inquired. Again, Angelo had to stare at Jack's father … he knew that Giacomo was named after Jack. How had he known that? Then again, the man also knew Italian, so … But Rassilon wasn't done surprising him. He added softly, his lips twisting into a small smile, "So, it was Talia's idea, then. What a generous woman your wife is. And what a pity that your granddaughter learns none of that generosity and compassion from her."

"Granddaughter? I will have granddaughters? Will I have grandsons, too?" Angelo asked eagerly and Rassilon smiled at him indulgently. Angelo shook his head, murmuring, "Never mind, that will come when it comes. You said that you were seeking my help. I take it from your words that my granddaughter does something that harms Jack? Is there something I can do to stop her now?" He wasn't sure why the next words emerged, but it sounded like something Jack's father should know. He summoned up his courage and whispered, "Sometimes, in my dreams, I grasp his arm before he propels himself off the building … but he still falls. Sometimes, I find the courage to stop the others … and he dies in my arms for the final time."

His eyes never left Jack's father, who swallowed hard and blinked back tears. Something the father feared as well? It could well be. Angelo went on, "That is why I cannot understand why you will not kill me. If someone did that to my sons, I would tear the world apart. They hurt him so terribly that night … _I_ hurt him so terribly." Jack's father sat down heavily on Angelo's desk, running his fingers through his hair. Angelo added in a small voice, "I see him in you. You aren't as beautiful as I remember him to be, but I see him in you."

Jack's father answered gently, "I will not hurt you because you were a frightened child who didn't understand. You punish yourself and you lost Jack … which was punishment in and of itself. Believe me, I know. My son was only recently returned to my life. But most of all, I will not hurt you because I know you're trying to protect my son from the Families." Angelo's blood felt like it turned to lava at the mention of those … bastards. Angelo would never forgive himself, or the others who killed Jack that night, but he reserved special hatred for those three men. They sought to profit from Jack's suffering, just as the butcher and his family did (and Angelo wanted them dealt with eventually).

"What can I do for you, that I'm not already doing?" Angelo asked softly. His mind was settling now, now that he knew that Jack's father truly wouldn't hurt his family. His family. Angelo's mind fastened onto something the other man told him. He looked at Jack's father (Rassilon, he had to remember that his name was Rassilon), and breathed, "My granddaughter. You said my granddaughter learned none of my Talia's compassion and generosity. Did she … does she hurt Jack?" Please, no … Jack suffered enough already because of Angelo.

His father's response didn't reassure him, as Rassilon answered, "That … that isn't for you to know, not now. For now, I need you, and your wife, to accompany me. You have someone that looks after your sons when you and your wife aren't available, yes?" Angelo nodded and Rassilon went on, "Then I need you both to accompany me. My son … that night affected the way he interacted with other people, including those he loved most. It is likely to be unpleasant for you both. It isn't yet time for you to meet his team, his makeshift family … but your adult granddaughter needs a reminder of what your wife was truly like. The loving mother and grandmother, not the bitter, vicious woman your granddaughter became. No, don't look away … she became that way through no fault of yours, or your wife's, but because of her own choices."

Angelo nodded slowly, answering, "I will do as you ask. Not just for Jack, but for us. Talia … she was so angry with me when she learned of what I did. She hit me in the head with a skillet and then made me sleep on the floor. She will be glad to meet you, glad to know that Jack …" His voice broke, and he looked down at the floor. Rassilon rested a hand on his shoulder, and Angelo once more raised his head to look his beloved's father in the eyes. To his astonishment, there was only compassion there. Angelo whispered, "He is all right? The Families never have another chance to harm him?"

"They try … but they haven't succeeded. Nor will they succeed. I wasn't here when the Families made their plans, with aid from one of my older children … but I will ensure that they are ended," Rassilon promised. The words held the ring of being written in stone, and Angelo thought again of anyone who dared to hurt Giacomo and Pietro, and knew that Rassilon would honor that promise. That night, he and Talia (who was overjoyed to meet Rassilon and fussed over him, since she couldn't fuss over Jack) went into the future, and met their granddaughter. It was as Rassilon said … their Olivia became an angry, bitter, vicious woman. She'd also been badly burned (courtesy of an explosion created by the Families). Talia was heartbroken to realize that they raised such a bitter child, and wept terribly in Angelo's arms. And Angelo … he couldn't bear to look at Olivia. Not because of her burns, but because Rassilon was right. Talia raised her (he could tell from Olivia's reaction when she saw her, the choked out, ' _Nonna_?'), but she inherited none of his wife's compassion.

It was originally Rassilon's intention to wipe the memories of both Talia and Angelo, but in the end, he chose to wipe only Talia's memories. As he explained to Angelo as the sleeping Talia was covered up and Angelo kissed her hair lightly, it was necessary for him to remember this. Talia, though … it would only break her heart. He also told him that there would be a time when he returned, when he would need Angelo's help again. Angelo swore that he would be ready for that day, a promise that made Rassilon smile for some reason.

"Angelo … how is it that you're always in this room when we meet?" a familiar voice inquired. Angelo opened his eyes to find Rassilon in front of him once more. And he wasn't alone. There were two other men (a young man, about a decade younger than Angelo, and an older man, perhaps twenty years his senior) and two young women. Angelo rose to his feet, laughing as Rassilon embraced him. However, his laughter died as he noticed the way the three younger people were looking at him. Rassilon said, a bit apologetically, "I should introduce you, yes? This is Ianto Jones, Suzie Costello, and Toshiko Sato. They're members of Jack's team … those he loves who he couldn't share himself with." Ah. That explained a great deal.

But it was the slight, older man (albeit younger than Rassilon) who further explained, "We just came from the night Jack was murdered repeatedly, laddie. The night his blood was sold to three men … the night the Families came into being." And now, Angelo's smile died. He lowered his head, swallowing hard. The man continued as an explanation, "Ianto has been Jack's lover. He saved Tosh … would have saved Suzie if he knew how." Well. There was nothing for it. Angelo raised his head and straightened his shoulders, and looked at the three young people in the eye. They had seen the night Jack was repeatedly murdered and saw that Angelo was the reason he was in such a terrible situation. They all loved Jack, just as he did.

One by one, he locked eyes with each of them … first Suzie; and then Tosh; and then finally, Ianto. And he did not disappoint. The young man balled up his hand into a fist and punched Angelo rather solidly in the jaw, growling, "That was for Jack!" Angelo caught himself on the edge of the table, and prepared himself for another blow, but Rassilon put a hand on the other man's shoulder, as if telling him to cease and desist.

"Enough. Both of you. There is something far more important that we have to do. Angelo, you were there at the beginning of the Families. It's only right that you should be there when they meet their final fate. Are you ready?" Rassilon asked. What went unsaid was that Angelo himself would be dead when the Families made their final mistake. Rubbing his still-aching jaw, Angelo looked at Rassilon and nodded. The father of the man he still love (and would likely love until he died) smiled and said, "Good lad. Then come. We have work to do!"

TBC


	7. Chapter 6: Venomous Tongues

Author's Notes: I rejected every idea I had for launching this current chapter, because I've not been feeling well, which in turn made me _very_ cranky. Plus, every idea I've been having sounded boring to my own ears (eyes? Something like that). I needed a fresh perspective, someone I hadn't heard from in a while, someone who would notice something was wrong before anything actually happened. And that's when it hit me … Agent Phil Coulson, SHIELD agent extraordinaire and the grandson of Angelo Colasanto (at least in this series). Oh, and I'm sure you don't need to be told this, but _Agents of SHIELD_ doesn't exist here (aside from Melinda May, 'cause she's awesome). No Skye/Daisy … no Grant Ward, none of that. I chose Justinian for his middle name because a) I wanted something unusual and b) Justinian was the real-life inspiration for Valerius in the _Sarantine Mosaic_ by Guy Gavriel Kay (although Justinian and Valerius met far different fates, as did their respective empresses, Theodosia and Alixana). So, in this chapter, Phil begins to sense that something is wrong; someone hears a friend being hurt; and Jack sacrifices himself … again.

Reviewer Responses:

DomIantoRules: Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying this series! I'd been seriously considering discontinuing it after finishing _Lay My Honor in the Dust_ , due to the lack of interest in it, but since you're enjoying it, I'll continue forth!

Chapter Six

Venomous Tongues

SHIELD Helicarrier

Agent Phil Coulson (born Philip Justinian Colasanto, because his dad was a grade A history aficionado who thought Emperor Justinian was a bad-ass, right along with Charlemagne and Peter the Great) was a lot of things. Stubborn for one … it was why he was still alive after being turned into a human shish-kebob by Loki. Well, that and a scary-powerful Time Lord, who appreciated his kindness to his youngest son and decided that Phil wouldn't die on his watch. This, by the way, was the same Rassilon who froze the healing of Phil's cousin Olivia for her actions against Rassilon's son. Talk about mixed feelings.

He was also someone who cared more for people than things … even uber-expensive things. Stories were still told about him urging his people to abandon the equipment and focus on evacuating safely when Loki made his initial incursion against Earth. And he didn't ignore the SHIELD personnel who weren't agents. Techs, janitors, it didn't matter … you were part of a larger entity, and the purpose of that entity couldn't be fulfilled with the contribution of all its members. So, perhaps it wasn't so surprising that it was Phil Coulson who first noticed that med-tech Cary Meadows was acting somewhat … squirrelly. The kid had always been on the quiet side, even before Miracle Day. But he'd steadily grown quieter in the months since that ended, and on more than one occasion, Phil mentioned his concern to both Fury and Hill. He was advised that the young med-tech was being 'monitored.' That was the best he was going to get, but he still had his own people watching the kid. Fury said more than once that Phil was his good eye … Phil would hold him to that.

Especially since Torchwood Oklahoma was on the helicarrier today. It was Ailsa Tregarth's birthday, and she'd wanted to see where Captain Steve worked. And, because Steve Rogers was a complete and utter pushover when it came to children, he made it happen … with some help from Phil, of course. He'd been in another part of the helicarrier at the time the small group arrived, but that was fine. He wanted to check on Meadows again, but the boy wasn't at his assigned station. Phil busied himself in the room, in the event the kid had gone to the bathroom or grabbed a coke, as he wasn't scheduled to go on his lunch break for another forty-five minutes. And still he didn't come back.

Fighting his growing unease, Phil began to leave to find Steve and the rest of the Avengers, hoping to at least bring his concerns to their attention. However, as he headed for the door, one of the other med-techs stopped him. Her name, if he remembered correctly, was Rachel, and she was clutching something in her hand. Trying to tamp down on his impatience (she was brand new and the new recruits were especially nervous around him … coming back from the dead tended to have that effect on people), he tried to smile at her reassuringly.

His patience paid off. The girl hesitantly told him that she knew he was looking for Cary, but he'd left some fifteen minutes before Phil's arrival. And in her hand was a picture of a smiling young woman, perhaps in her early thirties. Rachel explained that it was a picture of Cary's sister, who died somewhat recently. Normally, it was at his desk, taped to the corner of his computer. Rachel found it on the floor. Phil turned over the picture and found a name: Tara. Rachel added, nervously twisting her hair, "It's always been there, Agent Coulson, always. And look, the tape is either removed or folded over. It doesn't make any sense."

No … no, it didn't. Phil thanked Rachel for bringing this to his attention, sent her back to work, and then returned to the office he often used on the helicarrier. It was actually the command center office, where the administration work was done, but he had access and he was the one in there most often … so, most people regarded it as his office. Booting up the computer, he began typing in the name 'Tara Meadows.' Yes, she probably married, but women often kept their maiden name as part of their name even after their marriage. Not every woman did … his mother hadn't. As she explained to him one night, ' _yes, I was proud to be Elaine Murphy for the first twenty-two years of my life, and yes, I adored my father. But I chose to marry your father, and when I married him, I took the name of the man I had chosen_.' It was something Phil had never forgotten. Perhaps that was one reason for his friendship with Pepper Potts … she reminded him a lot of his mother when she was a young woman.

Ten minutes into his search, Phil got a hit on 'Tara Meadows.' He read aloud, 'Tara Anne Meadows Quincy died this past Friday, due to complications from a cancer diagnosis. She leaves behind her husband, Jacob Quincy, a son Galen, age 8, and a daughter Genevieve, age 6, her parents, Lester and Janine Meadows … and a younger brother Cary." So, he was on the right track. He skimmed the rest of the obit, frowning as he found nothing more note worthy … until his eyes strayed to the top of the paper, and he recognized the date. Phil whispered, "My God … she died at the end of the Miracle."

It was terrible, but that didn't mean Cary had done anything wrong … yet. Unless … but no. Most people didn't know about the Families and their involvement (creation) of the Miracle. There was one way to be sure, but Cary's immediate supervisor was on her lunch break and not due back for at least another half hour, and … the klaxon interrupted Phil's thought process. His head jerked up as Fury's voice filled the helicarrier, warning of a Code 46. It took Phil a moment to recognize the code, and then he sucked in a breath. Code 46 … a hostage situation. He bolted out of the office and headed in the direction he last knew Steve and the others were heading. He had a sick feeling that he knew exactly who was holding the hostages … and maybe even who the hostage was. What he _didn't_ know was that it was already too late.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

There were times when Natalie Tregarth thought about how long Jack Harkness had lived. Technically, he was a bit more than two thousand years old, but in reality, he'd lived a little less than two hundred of those years. Even so, her mind stuttered at the idea of living past a hundred. And Jack … Jack would likely live forever. Natalie, like most people, didn't want to think about those she loved dying. And yet, for Jack … she wanted him to be able to die at some point. The idea of living forever was too cruel after experiencing Miracle Day.

And really, it wasn't something she tried to think about, most of the time. If she stopped and considered what such a long life entailed, it would have broken her brain. But right now, thinking about that long life, and the things Jack had seen and done, was the only thing keeping her from going insane with worry and fear as she held her daughter tightly against her chest. On the other side of this door, two men … two captains … were fighting to protect her and her child from a threat they had seen and evaluated before she even knew there was an issue. And she _still_ didn't know what that threat was. _You're a lousy operative, Natalie Sophia_ , she thought bitterly.

They'd been walking down the hall … the family broke up into smaller groups, for the sake of convenience if nothing else. Maria Hill reluctantly returned Ailsa to her, giving her daughter's hair a gentle stroke before returning to her duties. Natalie's parents went one way with Tony Stark; her nephews, sisters and Rex, another with the twin spies (as they called Clint and Natasha), which left Jack, Esther, Steve and Natalie ambling along the corridors of the Helicarrier, Ailsa shifting from Jack to Esther to Steve to her mother. (Natalie wasn't about to ask where Adriane and Owen were. There were some things she really _didn't_ need to know). Esther split off from them a few minutes earlier to check out something that caught her eye.

Natalie still wasn't sure what happened … there was a silent communication between Steve and Jack, before Jack literally grabbed her by the waist and propelled her and Ailsa through the first push-door they encountered. And, luckily, it was the ladies' restroom. Jack deposited them inside, hissing, ' _Stay in here … no matter what you hear, stay put_!' And then the door slowly closed behind him, leaving Natalie with the final image of Jack and Steve standing side by side. She slid slowly to the ground, huddling against the door with her daughter in her lap as they listened to the obvious sounds of a struggle outside. Ailsa whimpered a little, and Natalie tucked her daughter's head under her chin protectively. It occurred to her briefly that moving away might have been a good idea, in the event someone tried to fire into the room, but she stayed put. One, even her slight-ish weight kept the door closed, buying them time, and two, the door would easily stop any bullets.

It could stop bullets, but not sounds. She heard Steve hiss, "He surrendered, damn you … leave him alone!" Natalie's blood ran cold, not just at the words from the defrosted captain, but at the sound of flesh striking flesh, and bone striking metal. Natalie's arms tightened around Ailsa. Something was happening to Jack … something seriously Not Good. And she was trapped in here, while her friend was being hurt. Her friend, who held her in the hospital after she was shot … who saved her life by making love to her … and there was nothing she could do to help him.

But as if that wasn't bad enough, what she heard from whoever was hurting Jack was even worse. A young man's voice growled, "He _deserves_ to die! He deserves to burn for what he did! And you … you claim to be some kind of hero, but you're no hero, not if you claim him as your friend!" There was a sound Natalie couldn't identify, and then she heard Jack groan. She bit her lip, fighting her desire to run out of the bathroom and confront whoever was hurting her friend, whoever hurt Steve, whoever said that they weren't heroes. But one thing she learned from Ailsa's kidnapping and the months since … if she went out there now, she would make both herself and Ailsa a target. Jack put them in here to protect them both … if she went out there now, there wasn't a damn thing she could do to help, and a helluva lot that she could hurt, including Jack and Steve.

She buried her face in her daughter's hair, feeling Ailsa's body tremble against her chest. Her first priority was to protect Ailsa … that was her job, both as a Torchwood operative and as Ailsa's mother. But she also wanted to give Steve and Jack a fighting chance. Natalie mentally ran through plans, discarding them as soon as she realized their flaws. She couldn't do anything in here; leaving Ailsa in one of the stalls while she went out to confront whoever was threatening her friends left Ailsa vulnerable (what if she fell and the man found Ailsa? No … no, she had to find another way).

Her cell phone vibrated against her chest … one of her friends had posted something to Facebook, more than likely. But … something else occurred to Natalie. She eased the cell from her hip pocket, never releasing Ailsa, and swiped through her contacts until she found what she wanted. She touched the contact number, and then the phone symbol, and then placed the phone against her ear. When the other party responded with a cheerful greeting, Natalie whispered, "I need you to triangulate my signal. Steve and Jack pushed Ailsa and me into this ladies room about five minutes ago. They're outside, and someone … someone is hurting Jack. They hurt Steve too." She took a deep breath, quietly grateful that the other person was listening intently as she told him what she heard only seconds earlier about Jack deserving to die.

"Found you. We're not far away at all. Stay put, kiddo, and you did good," Clint Barton answered in a hushed voice. Natalie smiled a bit bitterly … she should have thought to call him sooner. And it seems that Clint could read minds now, because he added, "And don't you dare think that you failed Steve and Jack. You didn't. You did exactly what they would have wanted you to do. So keep doing that, Nat. We'll be there soon." With those words, Clint hung up and Nat put her phone away, pulling Ailsa close once more.

It felt like forever, but must have been no more than thirty seconds before Natalie heard Maria Hill's voice over the intercom, warning of a Code 46 … and fifteen seconds after that, she heard the oh-so-welcome sound of Clint Barton's voice. There was a great deal of yelling, followed by Steve crying out, "NO!" And then silence. Natalie and Ailsa looked at each other worriedly, and then, Natalie's father was saying, "Move back, sweet girl." Natalie pushed herself to her feet, her legs trembling, and moved away from the door. The first thing she saw was her mother, who pulled Ailsa away from Natalie … and then, right behind her was her father, who put a protective arm around her shoulders, leading her from the bathroom.

Once outside, Natalie did a quick headcount … and came up missing one. Clint said quietly as Natasha tended to an injured Steve, "Jack's been taken. Fury's already been notified, and even if they get off this helicarrier, we can track them. Up you get, Captain … we have a rescue mission to plan." With those words, he helped Natasha get Steve up from the ground, balancing him between them, but Natalie was still reeling from what Clint had told her. Jack had been taken. He had sacrificed himself for them … again. As she stumbled alongside her father, Natalie swore that they would find Jack and bring him home, no matter what it took. No matter what. Something else occurred to her as they towed Steve toward the infirmary … Torchwood was attacked while on a SHIELD helicarrier, by an employee of SHIELD (if Steve's comments were any indication). What would SHIELD do to help Torchwood get their captain back?

TWTWTWTWTWTW

Unknown Location

Half an Hour Later

Captain Jack Harkness groaned a little as awareness returned to him. His head hadn't hurt this badly since … well, in a long time. His mind was still struggling to reboot … something that received some not-so-welcome assistance when a voice said, "So. After all these decades, we finally have you in our hands. Not as a spoiler to our plans, but as a subservient … what you should have been all along." _Yeah, yeah, yeah_ , Jack thought _, that's what they all say. I didn't bow to the Master, and I won't bow to you, either._ Of course, that was when he realized that his hands were bound behind his back. A temporary set-back … he immediately began to try to work his hands free. He couldn't protect himself at the moment, but Jack was willing to suffer some pain now in order to give himself a fighting chance later.

"Kill him already … he _deserves_ to die for what he did to my sister!" came another voice, one which Jack recognized, and now, his mind began to clear. He barely bit back another groan with the recollection. The boy … he couldn't be much more than twenty-five or so … who strode toward him and Steve with such purpose; he remembered, too, pushing Natalie and Ailsa through the nearest push-door to safety; the confrontation that followed … his surrender to protect not just the mother and daughter behind the door, but his friend (who was shot anyhow, just before Jack was knocked unconscious). That boy now kicked Jack hard in the ribs, knocking the immortal captain onto his side, before following that up with a series of kicks to his gut, screaming incoherently all the while. Jack just endured until the boy was dragged away, still kicking at Jack's prone body.

"That will do, Mr. Meadows. Captain Harkness is no longer a threat. Take him to the antechamber," the unfamiliar voice said and Jack was yanked to his feet, still bent double. He willed back the pain, willed back the nausea, focusing on the best way to turn this to his advantage. Playing the tough guy would backfire in this situation, and so he remained bent over, allowing his head to hang down. After a few minutes of consideration, he allowed a few, faint groans to escape as he was dragged/carried away.

All the while, he was listening and observing the ground, trying to figure out where he was taken. Geographic location, he couldn't determine right now, although he was fairly certain that he was still somewhere in the American Southwest. He hadn't been unconscious more than half an hour to forty-five minutes, which means they hadn't gotten that far. Further, the dirt under his feet resembled sand more than anything else. Not the red dirt of Oklahoma, but he was fairly certain that they were still in the Southwest. And all the while, he listened … to what was said, and what wasn't said. And he was starting to get an idea of who had him.

His fact-finding was interrupted with a sharp punch to his kidneys that turned the world white. Jack's legs gave way with the blow, and by the time he recovered the ability to breathe, his greatcoat had been removed, along with his boots and socks, and he was lying prone on his back, staring up at … a cavern as his bound hands were raised high above his head. He was in a cavern, lying on a rather strange slab of stone. Which meant … what? New Mexico, Utah? But then the men began to unbutton his shirt. Jack nearly made a smart remark about not knowing them well enough for this, but then remembered the con he was running. They weren't particularly gentle about removing his clothes, hands brushing over bruised flesh, so Jack felt safe in allowing himself a moan of pain.

One of the men raised his fist to strike Jack, but his partner shook his head, saying, "Naw, not worth it. He'll be screaming soon enough." That didn't sound promising. But Jack survived the Master and he survived Alice and Emily in his early years with Torchwood … he would survive this. The two men left, and Jack focused on Steve. He knew his friend would be all right … but he also knew that just as soon as Steve was cleared for duty, he'd start looking for Jack. And he wouldn't be alone. That was the part that worried Jack … that and the fact that Mr. Meadows' vendetta against him likely ruined Ailsa's birthday. He still had no idea of what he'd done to Meadows' sister … unless … A possibility occurred to him, but he tucked it away for later consideration. Footfall warned him that he was no longer alone. Jack braced himself for whatever was to come … no matter how unpleasant it was.

"Well, Captain Harkness … here you are, once more ready to be bled. Only this time, we'll be doing the bleeding, rather than buying your blood after it's been collected," the unfamiliar voice from before observed from just behind his head. Jack closed his eyes momentarily … damn, he really hated being right sometimes. Still, he forced his eyes open and focused his attention on the man now drawing alongside him. He was in his late fifties, possibly early sixties, dark hair turning iron-grey at the temples. His eyes were slate gray and about as cold as steel, despite the genial smile decorating his face. But it was what he carried in his hand that had Jack swallowing hard. The man noticed what Jack was staring at and his smile brightened, ever so slightly. He asked, "Oh, do you like it? As the Patriarch, I take the first cut."

Yeah, that didn't surprise Jack a bit. The man continued, "You didn't just kill young Mr. Meadows' sister when you ended the Blessing … but my sister as well. I would have preferred to have Martha Jones Smith here now, with you watching … I know your kind, after all. Physical pain you can endure, but hurting someone you love? Oh, that hurts you far more. Martha Jones Smith isn't here now … so I'll hurt you in other ways. You've probably noticed the way the slab slopes … it will make it easier for your blood to fill the canals. Captain Jack Harkness, who never stays dead. How many ways have you been killed? No matter … I'm quite sure the death of a thousand cuts has never been one of them. Until now."

"You weren't in the basement of that butcher shop. Didn't care for it then … really don't think anything has changed in the last eighty-five years," Jack retorted. The man merely smiled coolly and Jack observed, "I've died every way you can imagine and probably a few you haven't. I've been blown up, encased in concrete, shot, thrown off cliffs, been suffocated. Will you kill me? Of that, I have no doubt. Will you break me? I had a psychopathic Time Lord trying to do that for the better part of a year, and he failed. So give it your best shot; just understand this. I'll keep coming back and coming back and coming back. Sooner or later, I'll get free. And when I do, I will tear you apart for what you did to my little girl."

It wasn't a threat. It was a statement. The Patriarch merely smirked at him, answering, "Your daughter Alice? The same daughter whose son you murdered?" Jack merely stared steadily at the other man. He knew what he'd done to Steven. He knew what he'd done to Alice, and he would live with that for the rest of his (very) long life. He also knew that she hadn't forgiven him for that, and might never. But they were slowly making a peace between them … and this man was the reason his child was dying.

"The only daughter I have, the only living child I have. You hurt my little girl, and I will make you pay for that. Regardless of how long I'm here, or whether anyone comes for me, I will endure … and there will come a reckoning. So do … your … worst," Jack hissed. The Patriarch leaned down so that Jack could feel his breath on his face (could smell what he'd eaten for lunch, for that matter), their eyes only millimeters apart. But Jack didn't blink, didn't look away.

"Oh," the Patriarch all but cooed, "I plan on it!"

TBC


	8. Chapter 7: Bring Him Home

Author's Notes: First off … Devil's Fortress. This is not a real place; it is a composite of several places. For purposes of imagination, it's near Monument Valley … a rock formation (a la Monument Valley or Devil's Tower) that looks like an abandoned fortress. It sits atop a cavern system inspired by the Grand Canyon Caverns, which is two hundred thirty feet below the surface and is a rare dry cavern (ergo, very few stalagmites or stalactites). The Grand Canyon Caverns were designated as a fallout shelter by the US government in the 1960's, which also placed supplies in the caverns. Due to the constant temperature and dryness of these caverns, those supplies are still good today, more than fifty years later. To give you an idea of how long the caverns are, it's roughly equivalent to a fifteen story building lying on its side. So, in this chapter, the combined teams of Torchwood and the Avengers begin pooling their resources to locate and rescue Jack; Alice lashes out; while Rassilon and his little group arrive at Devil's Fortress. Since I doubt if I'll have another chapter up tomorrow, I want to wish everyone who celebrates it a very, _very_ Merry Christmas! Hope it's a fantastic one!

Chapter Seven

Bring Him Home

SHIELD Helicarrier

Same time as Jack's awakening

"What are you doing to find my father?! It's been nearly an hour, why are you still here?"

It was a demand, not a question, made by a very angry, very frightened woman who was even now standing before Nick Fury, hands flattened against the surface of the table in the main conference room of the Helicarrier. Nick didn't answer immediately, in part because he knew that Alice Carter (born Melissa Moretti) wasn't finished. Hell, forget not being finished, she hadn't even gotten started! His eyes flickered to the rest of the people gathered in the conference room … Rogers was even now putting finishing touches on a plan to rescue his fellow captain, flanked by Romanoff and Carlyon Tregarth (since Barton was prepping the quinjet with 'help' from Ailsa Tregarth). They had a basic idea of where he was being held, thanks to the tracking system Hill activated as soon as Harkness was taken.

Just in front of him, Natalie Tregarth was going over again what she'd told Phil Coulson about what she heard while sheltering in the ladies' room. She'd apologized at the start of the 'interview,' telling him that Captain Rogers could probably be more help since he was actually in the hallway, but she would do what she could. Coulson had reassured her, telling her that anything she provided would be appreciated, adding that it was possible that she picked up on something that the captain missed. Fury doubted that very much and judging from the skeptical look she gave Coulson, so did Natalie, but she gamely told him everything that she remembered.

The rest of Torchwood was reviewing plans for the upcoming assault against the Families. Owen Harper was coldly furious as he checked his kit for the fifteenth time, and for the first time since he'd met the two of them, Rex Matheson was actually helping the abrasive doctor (truth be told, though, Fury found Matheson just as abrasive. However, he was well aware that he didn't have much room to talk). At Matheson's side was his fiancée and middle Tregarth daughter Octavia who was assisting her elder sister Priscilla with a supplies kit. From what Priscilla's daughter Esther told him before she left with Barton and Ailsa, they were anticipating several deaths for Harkness before they arrived, and filling the kits to help him recover.

His attention was drawn back by Alice Carter, who again demanded, "What are you doing to find my father? The Families … they have him, and they're going to hurt him again, and this time …" She couldn't continue speaking. Nick had heard that she spent several months as a captive of the Families, and knew she feared for her father. But still, he didn't speak, because he knew she wasn't done. When she regained her composure, the immortal's daughter next demanded, "And if you knew that there was contact between that little bastard and the Families, why didn't you take him out before he could do this?"

"Because we _didn't_ know. We knew that his sister died at the end of the Miracle, and we knew that his sister's death hit him hard, but we didn't know he'd made contact with the Families. There's something called due process, Ms. Carter … I suggest you look it up," Hill stated as she re-entered the room. Fury looked at his second-in-command, who explained, "I have more to date information for Captain Rogers and Colonel Tregarth, regarding the general area where Captain Harkness was taken. I think it will be helpful to narrow the search down." Fury raised his eyebrows, and Hill added, "I contacted Meadows' brother-in-law. I didn't tell him what happened, just told him that we were concerned about him and wanted to know where he liked to go when he was troubled. He told me about this place … Meadows and his sister called it 'Devil's Fortress,' and it was somewhere they both went when they needed to be alone. Looks like a prime place to take Captain Harkness. Out in the middle of nowhere, and it seems that unlike the nearby Monument Valley, there's a way inside the so-called Fortress."

"It also sounds like a place the Families would appreciate. They kept Esther in an abandoned hospital, and then there were the hideouts in Shanghai and Buenos Aires during the Miracle. I don't suppose you happen to have gotten a thermal imaging of this Fortress, did you?" Natalie asked hopefully. Hill shook her head with a rueful smile, and Natalie sighed, "Damn. I guess that means scouts will have to go in first. What? I _do_ listen to my father and my nephew when they talk military strategy." This was in response to the rather stunned expression on the faces of both Coulson and Hill. The father in question beamed proudly, and was on the point of saying something, but the distraught daughter wasn't finished yet.

Alice Carter rounded on Natalie, demanding, "And **you**! Why are you at the center of everything? I lost my son because your father wouldn't risk you or your mother, and now my father's in danger while protecting you! WHY? What makes you so special?" Rogers actually twitched at those words, while Hill, who'd been on her way out the door, spun around. The entire Tregarth family seemed to be on high alert (but none more so than Sophia Tregarth) … even with that said, it was Hill who responded.

"Your father wasn't kidnapped because he was protecting Miss Tregarth or her daughter. He was kidnapped because a bunch of assholes with a God-complex played upon the grief of a hurting young man, and because that young man couldn't accept how badly his sister was hurting before she died. But the last thing your father did before he and Captain Rogers confronted Meadows was to get Miss Tregarth and Ailsa to safety. So, before you attack her because your father wanted to spare her, think about this … he would have done the same for you and your son, if you'd let him. But you didn't … and now, you're taking that out on the Tregarths. Out on a woman who wasn't even born when that choice was made. I don't know anything about your mother, but I do know a little about your father … and you _must_ take after your mother," Hill spat. Fury blinked at his second's obvious scorn. He'd need to talk to her later about it.

"Commander Hill … it's okay. She's scared for her dad and she's hurting. Not just because of today, either. I'm not sure I could do much better," Natalie said softly. Her eyes flickered to Alice briefly, before returning her attention to Coulson, adding, "That's all I can remember of the confrontation with Meadows, what I heard at least. But if you think it'll help, I can tell you about my time undercover before we got Esther out of that abandoned hospital. Since it probably won't be the same layout, I'm not sure how much good it'll do, but …"

"More than you think. These people tend to re-use old layouts … and every little bit of information helps. Before I return to the bridge, I want to apologize to you, Miss Tregarth, and to the rest of your family. My outburst was incredibly unprofessional, and I promise it won't happen again," Hill stated. The youngest Tregarth daughter dipped her head in acknowledgment, and Hill started to leave the room. However, before she reached the door, someone else spoke up … someone entirely unexpected.

"Ms. Carter, you asked a minute ago what makes Nat so special. I was asked the exact same questions about seventy years ago by Johann Schmidt, also known as Red Skull. I told him the truth, that I was just a kid from Brooklyn. Now Nat … what makes her special? To her father, she's his youngest child … a last gift from the woman he feared he lost. To _your f_ ather, she's his friend, who would have sacrificed her life to save another friend and who didn't deserve to get caught in the middle of a fight that wasn't hers. I know you're afraid for your father … I am, too. I know that you're hurting … so are most of the people in this room. But lashing out at Colonel Fury or at Natalie isn't doing anything to help your father," Rogers said quietly. His voice never rose, and there was no censure in his voice … but that didn't stop Carter from flinching … or Hill from bowing her head as she took the last steps through the door.

Carter asked plaintively, "Then what _can_ I do? The same monsters who held me captive, who unleashed Miracle Day on us all, they have my dad, Captain Rogers! They'll hurt him again, and start Miracle Day back up, or even something worse." Rogers left the small group and strode forward until he stood in front of the frightened daughter. He didn't touch her … but then, he wouldn't. Steve Rogers wasn't comfortable enough with his friend's daughter to do that.

"You pray … you pray for your father and for the people who will rescue him. And if you can't pray … a few days before I submerged that plane, I lost my best friend during an extraction mission. I … I couldn't save him. I couldn't reach him, I couldn't get to him before he fell. And he fell such a long way, still stretching his hand out to me. His death was the final push for me. We attacked Johann Schmidt's fortress only days later, with that rage and that guilt burning inside me. And do you know what hurt, nearly as much as being unable to save him … even more knowing that my best friend was dead because of me?" Rogers asked softly. Carter shook her head slowly, tears streaming down her face. Rogers smiled a bit sadly and said, "I never had the chance to say good-bye to him. And then I was frozen for seventy years. I didn't get the chance to say good-bye to a lot of my friends. So after I woke up, while I was started to acclimate, I started writing letters … to Bucky, to members of my unit who died before I woke up. We'll bring Jack home, Ms. Carter … but maybe instead of writing a letter to say good-bye, maybe you could write a letter to say 'hello' to him instead."

Harper piped up, "Yeah, Jack's real good at saying ' _hello_ ,' Steve." The entire room laughed at that, including Carter … who threw herself into Rogers' arms. His ears turned a lovely shade of pink, but he folded his arms around his friend's daughter in spite of his obvious embarrassment, and Harper continued, "Well, I'm all stocked and ready to go, and I know Octavia is as well. So the only thing left to do is decide who is going to bring Jack home." Yes, and that would likely spark yet another debate … especially given the way Natalie Tregarth was looking at Rogers. Fury sighed, wondering once again why he thought the Avengers teaming up with Torchwood would be a good idea. He was sure the rationale would come to him … eventually.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Devil's Fortress, Arizona

Twenty minutes later

Ianto Jones really thought he could no longer be shocked or horrified at what humans could do to one another after the incursion of the 456, more than three years earlier, and then after hearing about Miracle Day. He'd been wrong. And not just wrong, but epically wrong. Seeing the torture Jack endured in 1928 was bad enough … Ianto could sort of understand that. It was the 1920's, after all, and people who were different often suffered for it. He hated it, because they were hurting someone he loved, but he could understand it. This? This was something totally different and far worse. These monsters were taking pleasure in what they were doing to Jack. And that? That was something Ianto would never forgive.

They'd arrived in this cavern some forty minutes ago … according to Rassilon, only moments after Jack arrived with one Cary Meadows. From the Time Lord, Ianto and the rest of the humans learned that Meadows' older sister Tara died at the end of Miracle Day, one of many afflicted by deadly diseases who had their suffering extended for far too long. In Tara Meadows' case, it was stage five cancer. She'd regarded death as a mercy; her younger brother didn't agree and the Families gave him an outlet for his grief and hatred: Jack.

Koschei took up the narrative, telling them that the Meadows children grew up near the Devil's Fortress (near being a relative in this part of the United States). They both came here when they needed space to breathe … or to bring someone they weren't ready for their parents to meet. (The wink-wink-nudge-nudge he offered at the end of that statement was thoroughly unnecessary … they all knew what he meant) They were about two hundred feet underground, in one of the very, very, _very_ few dry caverns in the world. Suzie asked if this was one of the three percent of the dry caverns, drawing admiring glances from both Tosh and Koschei, who acknowledged that this indeed was the case. Like the nearby Grand Canyon Caverns, the Devil's Fortress caverns were also designated as a fallout shelter during the Cold War. Looking around him, Ianto could see why that would be the case. They could easily shelter a few thousand individuals within these walls for at least a few weeks. How they got down here was something else entirely … since Rassilon zapped them here, Ianto had no idea where the entrances or exits were.

They were currently in the antechamber, a smallish 'room,' where Jack had spent the last hour dying and coming back to life … where he'd spent the last hour being bled. Ianto shuddered as he remembered the Brecon Beacons and being 'tenderized.' He remembered Jack swooping into save them, all four of them, and for some reason, Ianto couldn't save him now. No. No, he knew why he couldn't save Jack … it wasn't time for his beloved immortal to know that he and the others were still alive. That didn't make any of this any easier to watch. Jack lay supine on the stone table (Ianto couldn't help wondering if the table was an actual rock formation, or if it was something one of the Meadows' siblings created out of rock that was already there), the immortal presented to the gods like a human sacrifice … which he was, when Ianto stopped and thought about it. Right now, he was dead, but any minute, he would gasp back to life and Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-Dum (Ianto told the John Winchester in his mind to stop calling them that … it was an insult to the real Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum) would start it all over again. The young Welshman cast a glance to his left, where Angelo Colasanto was watching with a stony face and ravaged eyes.

But it was Tosh who asked softly, "Why are we waiting, Rassilon? I know you … you aren't interfering because you can't get involved. We wouldn't be here if that was the case … and you certainly wouldn't have retrieved Mr. Colasanto if that was the case. No. No, you're waiting for something … or someone." The eyes of all four humans turned to the Time Lord, who merely smiled at Tosh. She nodded slowly, saying, "You're waiting for someone or something. The question is, what or who?" There was a familiar gasp of breath and the two Families goons moved forward once more. Colasanto turned his face away, but while none of them wanted to watch, none of them could turn off their hearing. They heard the casual conversation between the two goons, as if they weren't cutting an actual human being … as if blood wasn't flowing out of the cuts they made into Jack's flesh. They heard Jack's hisses and gasps of pain … as well his occasional mockery of the two torturing him.

"Sorry to say, you two suck at this," was just one sally, "one of my father's people once did far worse to me. Although, I should probably cut you two slack … no pun intended … he's lived a few hundred years, as opposed to a few decades." One of them made a slice into his hip, watching in silence as his blood flowed over the stone and down into the groves that surrounded the table. Colasanto was shaking his head when he could bear to watch, and looking at the floor when he couldn't.

"Why do you do this, Jack, when you only anger them?" the slightly-older man whispered. Ianto's lips quirked, and he thought about pointing out to Jack's former lover that he must not know Jack very well, if he didn't realize that even in a situation like this (and what an innuous way to describe the horror of what he was seeing), Jack was still a wise-arse. It was practically coded into his DNA. Besides, it was his way of coping with the horror … giving him some degree of control, when all other control had been taking from him. However, Suzie had a different take on the subject.

"The more he angers them, the quicker he dies," she observed quietly. Ianto tilted his head to one side, considering that. She had a point. But, really, it all came back to control … Jack assuming control of what he could in an untenable situation. And when all was said and done, it was one reason he loved Jack … one reason out of many. Suzie continued, "Rassilon can't end this now … he has to wait until the rest of Jack's team shows up. Think about it. If Rassilon intervened and took Jack with us, Jack would realize that we're alive … and it's not yet time for that. Now, once Jack's current team arrives, then Rassilon can act. And you will act, won't you, Rassilon." It was a statement, not a question, and not a challenge.

"Of course I will, you foolish girl … and I will act _very_ soon. My son's current team has arrived, with some additional individuals. Rejoice, my Children of Time … you're about to see the Avengers in action, first hand!" Rassilon crowed as the first wave of Jack's rescuers burst into the antechamber, led by none other than Captain America himself. Actually, it was the captain's shield that made the first appearance, spinning through the air like a lethal Frisbee (which, now that Ianto thought about it, it really was). The shield hit one bastard in the chest, while the other one found himself on the receiving end of the Black Widow's spider bite. It was impressive, deadly, and over within seconds. And it was only just beginning.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

SHIELD Helicarrier

Same time as Rescue

Her daughter was down there. Her youngest child … the child she took into suspended animation with her the first time … was down there, part of the group which was rescuing Jack from the Families. Her baby, who was quite possibly pregnant with their friend's child, was helping to rescue the man who saved them so many times.

Sophia Tregarth rubbed at her face, still a bit surprised that her fingers came away dry. She hadn't wanted Natalie to go with the rescue team at all (especially not if her suspicions were correct, and Natalie was pregnant), but was overruled not just by Carlyon, but by Steve Rogers as well. ' _She needs to be with us_ ,' the young captain told her, ' _not just because he's her friend, but because she was there at the beginning, and she needs to be there at the end. She'll go in the second wave, once we have the Fortress secured. And I can't promise she won't be in any danger, but she's Torchwood … that kinda goes with the territory_ … _but I will protect her to the best of my ability_.' It did indeed … and Carlyon agreed with their former contemporary. Natalie agreed to be part of the second wave (' _I'd only be in the way if I went with Rex, Steve, and the others_ ,' she observed), and kissed Ailsa good-bye, promising her little girl that they would bring Jack home.

"Your husband is a colonel … but I thought he left the service after the war." Sophia started, and looked to her right, where Alice Carter was sitting, nervously twisting a napkin to shreds. Her friend's daughter added, "That's what my mum told me … that the man who was in charge of Torchwood Cardiff when she was recruited served in the Army during the War, but resigned his commission at the end. Yet, Director Fury called him, 'colonel' during the conversation about rescuing Dad. Was that his rank when he left the Army?"

Her voice trembled ever so slightly when she mentioned Lucia, but Sophia didn't call her on it. Instead, she answered that question with another question, wanting to know, "How much do you know about the structure of Torchwood? You know that the Queen is the ultimate head, I'm sure, but what do you know about the rest of it?" Alice shook her head, indicating nothing at all, and Sophia honestly wasn't surprised. From everything she heard, Lucia wanted to cut everything Torchwood out of her life. It was for the reason that she explained patiently, "Technically speaking, the head of each Torchwood branch is a civilian. However, for ceremonial purposes, since each Torchwood director is a staff member to the queen, they are regarded as a colonel by the British government. By all rights, as the former director of Torchwood Cardiff, Jack should be addressed as 'colonel' as well, but he prefers 'captain.' Carlyon could better explain the intricacies … I understand the US Army structure well enough, but the British structure is a bit different."

Alice blinked a bit, murmuring, "I never knew that." Sophia quirked an eyebrow … well, obviously. Sophia doubted she would have asked if she knew the answer. Alice began shredding the napkin once more, and Sophia wondered if it was just because she was worried about Jack (as they all were), or if there was something else troubling her. She received her answer a moment later, when Alice said haltingly, "I … I want to apologize to you, for yelling at your daughter. She didn't deserve it … I know that it's not her fault … not Dad's abduction and not Steven's d … death. I just … your family is at the center of so many things, and I …"

Ah. Sophia didn't tell her that it was all right, because it wasn't. And really, Alice should be addressing her apology to Natalie, rather than to Sophia. However, there was something Sophia could do for the younger woman while they waited. She said softly, "Sometimes, my husband's good intentions go awry. Well, not just Carlyon's, but everyone's. When he told you about the events in 1965, he was trying to redirect your ire away from Jack. It never occurred to him that someone might blame me or Natalie."

"But I _don't_ blame the two of you, not really. That's the worst part of it. I wish I could, but I can't. It would be easier. I don't want to hate my father, and I don't want to hate my mother, I don't want to hate either of you. I promised myself while I was a captive that I would stop reacting, that I would stop being passive, because so many things in my life have been out of my control. All except the most important thing … I could have saved Steven if I'd put him first, rather than my own pride and fear. Mum taught me that Dad is dangerous," Alice explained.

'She wasn't wrong. He is dangerous. But that's not a bad thing, necessarily," Sophia answered. The redhead hesitated momentarily, and then reached out to cover the brunette's hand with her own, saying, "I know you're coming to terms with a lot of things. I knew both of your parents … admittedly, your mother nowhere near as well as I know your father … and I have to fight the urge to constantly side with your father, because I don't have all the facts at my disposal. Besides, Jack won't hear any trash talk of Lucia. And they say chivalry's dead."

That observation prompted a tiny smile from her companion, who added, "And unless we're talking about the ambush that nearly cost Natalie and Lucas their lives, or things she did to hurt other people, he won't hear any comments against Gwen Cooper. I think he could have forgiven her if it was just him she hurt … but it wasn't. Dad doesn't understand yet that the same is true of Mum. It wasn't just him who she hurt, but me as well, and by extension, Steven. I love my dad … I love him so much, even when I wanted to hate him, even when I resented him, I've never stopped loving my dad."

Sophia tightened her fingers around Alice's, answering, "I know. Believe me, I know. I can't advise you how to move forward, much as I'd like to. Just know that when you're ready to forgive your dad, Jack will be there waiting." Sophia hesitated briefly, and then added, "And when you're ready, you can apologize to Natalie. She's already forgiven you, I know … she forgave you as soon as the words were out. But I think you need to hear that for yourself, and not from me." Alice closed her eyes, and nodded.

Their conversation was interrupted when Commander Hill raised her hand, and said, "I just heard from Captain Rogers … they've completed the initial assault on the Families. Jason Martinelli and Hawkeye are conducting sweeps … Lucas Martinelli is remaining with Captain Harkness. Once all sweeps are clear, the second team will go in. At present, it looks like thirty members of the Families are on site … our intel indicates there are forty-five total remaining. We'll need to track down those fifteen not on-site. The good news is, Widow currently has the Patriarch on his knees, with her gun pointed at the back of his head. She made _sure_ to tell me that he was on his knees in front of her." Sophia snickered at that, because she could hear the younger ginger say just that, and the dark-haired commander rolled her eyes (but there was a tiny smile of amusement playing about her lips).

"Tell Captain Rogers to let us know when they're clear. We'll do what needs to be done to make sure the Families can never hurt anyone again," Fury observed from his position at the window. That small smile of Maria Hill's broadened and she inclined her head, before turning her attention to her conversation with Steve Rogers. Sophia squeezed Alice's hand once more, and this time, the younger woman squeezed back. This was it. They were bringing Jack home … and hopefully, they would get to see the Families burn for what they'd done.

TBC

Additional Notes: Information regarding the ranks in the British Army came from their website. I was trying to remember what Carlyon's rank was when he left the army, when I came across that particular site and learned that in the British Army, colonels are staff members for higher ranking officers. And since the monarch is the ultimate head of Torchwood, the idea was born to make the directors of Torchwood colonels. In the next chapter, it's Rassilon versus the Families (and oh boy, are they ever outnumbered); while we learn what Cary Meadows' fate is.


	9. Chapter 8: The Oncoming Tempest

Author's Notes: Wow. We are two days out from the end of 2015. Has anyone else seen the new _Star Wars_ movie? I went to see it on Saturday afternoon, and I'm really looking forward to the next one. Was it perfect? No, but no movie is (no TV show, either, come to that). Did I enjoy it? Very much. I probably would have enjoyed it more if Kylo Ren was more Original Trilogy Darth Vader and less a male version of Gwen Cooper. If the arc is about Kylo Ren's redemption and return to the Light, they're gonna have a lot of work to do for me to buy it. And I do mean a LOT. Meanwhile, I'm putting the finishing touches on my trip to Italy in March (only ten weeks away … squeak!), and I have this week off from work. I'll see how close I can come to finishing this story before I return to work next Monday. So … in this chapter, we peek in on Rhys and Eleanor during their flight to New York; Jack tries to make sense of what he's seeing; while the Families come face to face with an _extremely_ pissed-off Rassilon (and equally pissed off Steve Rogers, but right now, Rassilon is the scary one).

Chapter Eight

The Oncoming Tempest

Somewhere Over the Atlantic

Same time as the combined Avenger/Torchwood rescue

"So … can you tell me anything about the people who are looking after my Anwen?" Rhys Williams asked as the transatlantic flight drew nearer to its first destination, that of Washington, DC. As the plane made its way across the ocean, pieces of memory began to return to him. Lying on his back, talking to a woman who looked like Gwen but wasn't … or wasn't just Gwen. Hearing her tell him that Anwen was safe and loved by people who could protect her … only to have that information placed behind a wall. The blonde woman looked at him, a bit startled, and Rhys observed dryly, "I've been awake for about fifteen minutes, Eleanor."

"Right. How silly of me. I suppose I should have expected this question sooner … the last time I spoke to Dite, she told me that you would start remembering more of your conversation with her while you were in the hospital once you left the United Kingdom. Very well. The first thing you need to know is that you'll be in the same geographic area as your Anwen. It's a seventeen hour drive or a three-hour flight, depending on how you go. The second thing you need to know is that she's being raised by the same people whom your ex-wife betrayed to 'save' you and Anwen. They don't know who she is … they wouldn't care, either," Eleanor answered.

That told Rhys absolutely nothing … and everything he needed to know. No, he didn't know the name of Anwen's foster parents, but he knew the most important thing … even if they realized she was the daughter of the woman who betrayed them, they would still love her and take care of her. And not that Rhys cared, but he found himself asking, "You talk to Dite? How?" Eleanor pinned him with an ' _are you joking_?' look as she shifted position in her seat. And they were nice seats, too … first class. Rhys had never traveled first class before … were these bed/seats new?

"There's a lovely little device called a 'phone,' you can use it to call people faraway," Eleanor retorted and Rhys rolled his eyes. The blonde American went on, "She's recovering from your ex-wife's stupidity … the stupid bitch poked her nose into something that wasn't her concern, and got a serious ass-kicking. Daniel is doing his best to take care of her while she heals, but Dite was bored and missed me." ' _Poking her nose into something that wasn't her concern_ ' was standard Gwen, and Rhys said as much. Eleanor sighed, "I know, but this was even less her business than usual. The silly bitch simply can't fathom that ' _I was trying to help_ ' doesn't always cut it. Dite would have let Gwen suffer alone, but she and Daniel would have killed each other, so Dite is taking the pain while Gwen is sulking over the fact that a sixteen year old girl beat the hell out of her." Rhys winced. Yeah, he could see how his ex-wife would be sulking over that, especially if this girl was the one she'd been trying to 'help.'

"But, if Dite takes the pain every time Gwen gets into trouble, she'll never learn," Rhys observed with a sigh. Eleanor inclined her head with a tiny smile, and Rhys muttered, "Bloody hell ... that's part of what Gwen used the Favor for … to keep from getting into trouble." That smile broadened and Rhys closed his eyes. A small, warm hand covered his own and Rhys opened his eyes once more to see Eleanor staring at him compassionately.

"I know this is hard for you to believe, to accept, Rhys, but none of this is your fault. It isn't your fault, it isn't Jack's fault … though I know he still blames himself for falling to the Favor. But it isn't either of your faults, and you both need to learn to forgive yourselves," she said quietly, and in spite of himself, Rhys let his fingers close around Eleanor's. Now that the fog of jealousy and resentment was removed from his eyes, Rhys found himself curious about his former rival for Gwen's affections. But … he was never truly a rival, then, was he?

He observed, "You talk as if you know him." Eleanor inclined her head once again, her focus solely on Rhys, who went on, "How old was he when you first met him?" A mischievous smile quirked the corners of her mouth, and Rhys sighed, "Bloody hell, I forgot that was a tricky question when talking about Himself." He winced as he realized some of the old resentment remained, though eight months passed since the Favor was removed. Eleanor merely smiled sadly, making no comment about that.

Instead, she replied, "Dite and I first met Jack during the Time War, which makes things tricky." Good point, he hadn't thought of that. Eleanor went on, "He was twenty-five at the time … not all that different from who he is now. Brash, playful, loyal, caring, mouthy … in those respects, Jack is the same at one hundred seventy as he was at twenty-five. He was a Time Agent, in those days, assigned by the hierarchy to assist the Time Lords. The odd thing about the Time War is, it didn't take place in a specific Time, but during all of Time. Rassilon, his father, is the first among Time Lords, and he was awakened as the Time War grew worse. The reason I'm telling you is so you understand what a tangled mess it was. At the same time Rassilon was being awakened, his son was being conceived and born, and Dite and I were meeting Jack."

The first thing that occurred to Rhys was what a bloody mess this Time War was. The second thing was, he wasn't all that surprised that there was so little difference between the young man Dite and Eleanor first met and the annoying Yank Rhys knew. And then it hit him … Jack was the son of a Time Lord, the first Time Lord (or one of the first, at least). Which meant … he asked slowly, "So, you're telling me that Jack is the son of the Time Lord god?" Eleanor made a wavy motion with her hand, practically the universal gesture for ' _more or less_ ' and Rhys sagged against his seat, because his ex-wife crossed the Time Lord god by messing with his kid, and how was she still alive after that? Rhys had only to think of what he would do to protect Anwen, what he would do to anyone who hurt her, and then multiply that by a thousand.

"It's a bit simplistic to call Rassilon a god, but it's about as close as we can understand it. Jack inherited very little of his father's power … more like, impressions. As the son of a Time Lord, he doesn't have the two hearts or anything like that. However, his heritage allows him to work on a TARDIS … the time ships of the Time Lords … and things of that nature. It's not the reason he's immortal … that's due to a human girl with no understanding of the power she was wielding or its consequences. Rhys … I'm not telling you this to make you feel sorry for Jack, or so you'll be friends when next you meet, even though I think you two _should_ be friends. I'm telling you this so you understand," Eleanor answered.

Rhys exhaled slowly and then looked at Eleanor full on, saying, "Then tell me. Explain all of it. _Make_ me understand." Eleanor smiled, giving him the sense that he just passed a test he didn't even know that he was taking, and then began telling her stories.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Families' Hideout

Unknown (to Jack) Time

Was he dreaming? Or was he dead? Well, the latter didn't make any sense, because he didn't see _anything_ while he was dead. So he had to be dreaming … had he lost consciousness from blood loss, and not yet died? Except that didn't make sense either, because he wasn't supposed to be in pain while he was unconscious … but on the other hand, he wasn't dead. Well, there was a third possibility … he was hallucinating, and when he thought about it, that was the most logical explanation out of them all. What other reason was there for him to see Ianto and Angelo at the same time? And not just them, but Tosh and Suzie as well … because yes, he never stopped loving Suzie, either. And they were all with his father, as was Lucas Martinelli.

Slowly, painstakingly, Jack began to piece his memories back together, trying to figure out at what point he started hallucinating, because it was better than the alternative (it was also possible that he'd temporarily lost his mind). What was the last thing he remembered clearly? Oh … yes. Now he remembered seeing the red, white and blue Frisbee of doom that was Steve's shield as it collided with the chest of Tweedle-Dee and knocked him ass-over-tea-kettle. The shield was followed by Steve himself, and then Natasha Romanova.

Natasha immediately secured Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, while Steve ripped his cowl from his head and bent over Jack anxiously. He breathed a curse Jack hadn't heard since the twenties, and said into his shoulder … no, not his shoulder, his comlink, "This is Captain Rogers, I've located Jack. Lucas, I need you here immediately! Easy, Jack, easy, you're safe now. We're all here, and the Families aren't getting away this time." There was a pause as Steve listened to something, and then he said over his shoulder, "Widow, once those two are secured, I need you to help round up the prisoners. Stark has seven, Barton has twelve, Matheson has four, and Martinelli has five … including the current Patriarch, who he currently has kissing the dirt." That was a lovely visual, something Romanova observed as she left the room.

As she was leaving, Lucas rushed into the room where Jack was being held, swearing softly. Steve said, "I need to help the rest of my team with the prisoners. Once you hear from me, that everyone is secured, let your aunt and the rest of the second wave know that it's safe. And tell Esther she's not to kick any of the male prisoners in the groin … I don't know if she was joking or not, but she's not to do it." Jack winced involuntarily, sending pain stabbing throughout his body, but a warm hand cupping his cheek brought his attention back to Steve, who said, "The two prisoners are secure, and Lucas is gonna stay with you, Jack. He's been given permission do whatever has to be done if they give him trouble. You just need to rest. I'll be back as soon as possible with the others. The only ones who aren't here are Banner and Thor. Rest. Just rest."

That was … Jack wasn't entirely sure how long ago. He'd drifted in and out of consciousness as Lucas finished stripping Jack of the shreds of clothes that remained on his body, startling awake when he heard his father say softly, "Turn away and watch the prisoners, child … I will clean and clothe my son again." Jack opened his eyes to see Lucas turning away obediently as his father's face swam into focus over his head. And that was when the hallucinations began, for as soon as his father said softly, "It is done," Ianto, Suzie, Angelo and Tosh all crowded around his father, touching Jack's face or stroking his hair.

Angelo took his hand and pressed it to his lips, saying softly, "I am so sorry, bello … so very sorry. Shhh, don't try to talk, save your strength. Lord Rassilon, how long will this last?" Hazily, Jack blinked up at his father, wondering where he got the spare clothes from …but it was then that he focused on Ianto, who had tears running down his face, weeping in a way Jack hadn't seen since they'd killed the thing masquerading as Lisa. A gentle hand he recognized as belonging to Tosh cradled his other hand, lightly caressing his knuckles.

"So …. Sorry. Yan. Tosh. So sorry," he said hoarsely. There was a muffled sob from Tosh, who pressed the back of his hand against her cheek. But Angelo's apology for that horrific night, and everything that came from it, reminded him of the amends he needed to make with his final Cardiff team. He needed to apologize, to make things right with them, for falling to Dite's Favor. Ianto leaned forward and kissed his forehead. Jack closed his eyes, his heart aching at how real the hallucination felt, and then Ianto kissed his closed eyelids as well. He whispered again, "Sorry … should have said … shouldn't have …"

"Shhh, cariad. None of that is your fault. Not Gwen. Not the return of the 456. We know the truth, Jack, we know the real reason you agreed in 1965. And I know … I **know** the real reason you didn't respond when I told you that I loved you was because it wasn't ' _I love you_ ' you were hearing but ' _good-bye_ ,' and you didn't want to let go. I know that, Jack. I know … we know, all of it. We don't blame you. We love you, all of us," Ianto whispered.

"You saved me, Jack," Tosh whispered, "you saved me and gave me chances I never dreamed of. Ianto's right, we don't blame you. We love you. And even if there was something to forgive, which there isn't … we forgave you a long time ago. But there's nothing to forgive, because you weren't the only one affected. Rassilon, how much longer will the Time Lock last? Judging from Suzie's reactions, I'd say the second wave will be here momentarily." He felt his papa's hand resting lightly on his ankle.

"We should go now. Or rather, you four need to return to the shadows. I need to be here for this final act," Papa answered. Ianto kissed Jack's lips tenderly, while Tosh kissed his knuckles, both whispering that they loved him. Angelo pressed his forehead to Jack, murmuring the same and that he hoped one day Jack could forgive him. Jack tried to answer that he had already forgiven Angelo, a long time ago, but his throat was dry and his voice wouldn't work. And then, it was Suzie's turn … the Suzie he remembered from before the Glove, before he damned her with her (their) curiosity. He failed her, so badly.

But she whispered, "I know you, Captain Jack Harkness. I know what you're thinking, and I know that you believe you failed me. You didn't. I failed me, and I failed you, too. I made my choices … you didn't force me into anything, and you aren't responsible for what I became. That's on me and only on me. Remember that. I am responsible for my misdeeds. I love you, Jack. I always will. My Captain, oh my Captain." The words, once spoke in derision, now held only affection, and then Suzie Costello melted away into the shadows. He heard Lucas cry out his aunt's name, followed by Esther's gasp of horror.

"Oh God, Jack … what have they done to you? Shhh, that was a rhetorical question … just take a few sips of water. There you go. Owen, what do you think, dribble the water over his lips?" Esther asked, glancing over her shoulder as Owen steamed into the antechamber. Her eyes snapped back to the two Families goons slumped against the wall and she actually growled, "Oh, please. Give me a reason; give me _half_ a reason to kick your balls up into your throats … or whatever passes for balls with the likes of you!" That was kinda hot … really hot, actually.

"Yes, dear girl, you're doing it exactly right … lie still, Jack, until I have a seat ready for you. Hello again, Owen Harper," Papa said quietly. Again? When did his father meet Owen? But before he had the chance to ask that (or about this seat his father mentioned), Papa was raising his voice ever so slightly and saying, "Do _not_ move. If you move, I will have my associate place you in front of Weeping Angels and let them do with you as they will." Weeping Angels? Associate? Did his father have a way to place any members of the Families anywhere near the Weeping Angels? That was … worrisome, although he had to admit, he'd pay to see that showdown (as long as he remembered not to blink).

"You … you whore!" the Patriarch answered hoarsely, and Jack tried to turn his head toward the doorway to see who joined them. There was a grunt and the immortal was able to look in the direction of the sound. Actually, there were two sounds … the grunt made by the Patriarch and the sound of his head hitting the stone wall behind him. As Papa gently eased him into an upright position, before lifting him from the stone table, Jack saw the doorway for the first time … or rather, the individual(s) framed in the doorway. It was Natalie, who was glowering at the Patriarch, but she wasn't alone. Being pushed ahead of her was the kid from the helicarrier, the one who started this whole mess.

"You know, being called a whore by the likes of you has to be one of the greatest compliments of my life. I mean, really … the asshole who unleashed the friggin' Miracle against the world has the audacity to call a woman who has slept with exactly one person in her entire life, a whore. Where did you leave your self-awareness, twatwaffle … at the bottom of the primordial ooze you crawled out of?" Natalie retorted, giving the young man another shove, right into the waiting arms of Natasha Romanova. And when did she get back?

"Oh, but he only unleashed the Miracle … you lied to him when you went undercover to rescue your niece, that makes you by far the worst person!" Tony Stark put in, his voice almost literally dripping with sarcasm and a healthy dose of scorn, as he followed behind with his own prisoners, who were shoved rather roughly against the wall along with the Patriarch, and Natalie offered him an appreciative grin over her shoulder. Tony's mask flipped up and he looked over at Jack's father, asking, "Okay, and who is this? Not that I really mind, since he seems to be on our side, but it's nice to know who our allies are."

"Indeed it is, Anthony Stark … son of Howard and Maria, also known as Iron Man. I am Rassilon, first among Time Lords, and the father of Captain Jack Harkness. And once the rest of your team has arrived with their prisoners, I will pass sentence on those who would be gods, those would sought to again turn the world immortal, using my son's blood," Papa answered as he placed Jack on a rock behind the table where he'd bled, died, and revived so many times. He straightened up, resting a protective hand on Jack's shoulder, and the immortal heard the smile in his father's voice as he added, "Unfortunately for them, the technology that allowed them to inflict that abomination upon this world has been rendered … useless … to their needs." Now Jack did look up at his father, who offered a feral smile … a feral smile that could make Time Lords piss themselves (Jack remembered it happening more than once in the weeks before the attempt on his life). He leaned back against the rock, because he could either try to do something about the Oncoming Tempest (hey, if the Doctor was the Oncoming Storm, it was only right that Papa was the Oncoming Tempest), or he could enjoy the show. Right now, the latter was all he had the strength (and desire) to do.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

If Natasha hadn't bounced this HYDRA-wannabe's head off the cavern wall, Steve would have. While he didn't particularly believe in marital relations before marriage, Natalie Tregarth was still a lady, and that wasn't how you spoke to a lady. Although, he had to admit that her response was hilarious … even Hawkeye and Natasha looked amused by her putdown. In front of him, Stark actually snickered before sarcastically pointing out that the Patriarch (egotistical much, as the saying went these days) only unleashed the Miracle, while Natalie lied about her identity … clearly that made her the worst person between the two of them.

A quick check to his right told him that Jack was upright on a rock, albeit leaning against the cavern wall. He looked pale and tired, but his smile as Natalie and Esther arranged his greatcoat around his shoulders was genuine. The two women took up flanking positions just behind the man who was revealed to be Jack's father. And in all honesty, even if he hadn't introduced himself as Jack's father, Steve would have guessed that was a distinct possibility. Steve took a quick headcount … only the older Martinelli brother and Matheson were still missing. Barton took note of the same and told him, "I'll go help them, Cap. 'Tasha, you got these dirtbags?"

The red-haired assassin merely smiled as she glanced over the members of the Families they had assembled, and nodded. Barton inclined his head to Steve, winked at Natalie, before setting out to find their missing teammates. Steve turned his attention to the table in front of him … likely the same table where Jack was held. But what really got his attention was a dark red outline around the table … and the dark red outline looked suspiciously like blood. Steve looked at Rassilon, who nodded briefly. Steve closed his eyes and inhaled and asked a question he already knew the answer to, "What is that gulch at the edge of the table?"

"It's how the Families were collecting my son's blood … and it's going to be the source of their undoing. Captain … I know of your faith, and I know the significance of blood in that faith. What I am about to do may seem blasphemous to you, but it is necessary if I wish to protect this planet and my son from these monsters," Rassilon answered. Steve looked at his friend's father for several moments. He wasn't sure what the Time Lord would do with his son's blood, but one thing Steve trusted in implicitly … Rassilon loved his son. He looked at Jack the same way Steve's mother Sarah looked at him.

"What do you need me to do?" he asked quietly. Rassilon blinked … evidently taken by surprise, and Steve explained, "I won't ask anyone else to do what I won't do myself. Do I think this will probably make me uncomfortable? I'd be more surprised if it didn't. But I will do it." Rassilon continued to look at him, and Steve exhaled before adding, "Rassilon … there were times during the War when I did things I wasn't proud of. But if I hadn't done them, worse things would have happened. I don't regard this any differently."

"You don't, do you? Very well. I have two possible punishments in mind for them, Captain. One involves throwing them into the Void. Ahhh, Dr. Harper, I see you remember that possibility, as well as the potential consequences. Now, would it put you at ease if I told you that those consequences would be mitigated by having several individuals placed in there at one time, rather than a single individual?" Rassilon asked with a smirk. That sounded … well, that possibility sounded somewhat terrifying to Steve, but he wouldn't gainsay the Time Lord. And a glance toward the British doctor told him that Rassilon's statement eased his mind.

"Ahh, just out of curiosity … and not because I particularly care about what you do to these dumb-asses, but what kind of punishment does being tossed into the Void entail?" Natalie Tregarth asked from her position at Jack's side. She was leaning against the cavern, eyes flickering from the highly-perturbed Time Lord to Steve and back again. And before the Time Lord in question could answer, she added, "And should I be worried or flattered that the Time Lord who sired a dear friend also played with my daughter while we were at the compound? Everything makes a lot more sense now, including how a man who looked to be in his sixties carried a fully grown man with ease. I didn't really pay attention to it at the time, I was too worried about Jack. But I remembered it later, and wondered."

"Remember in _Return of the Jedi_ , when Han and Luke were sentenced to be dumped into the Sarlacc where they'd be digested over a period of a thousand years, Nat?" Jack asked. The brunette turned to face him, nodding slowly and warily. Jack smiled tiredly, saying, "That's the best comparison I've heard yet. But that's only one possibility, Papa, and it doesn't require my blood. What's the other punishment?" Steve was still processing what his friend told him about being tossed into the Void (and realizing that Jack was entirely correct … his blood wouldn't be necessary for such a punishment).

Rassilon, however, was still staring at Natalie with such tenderness, it made Steve's throat ache. It was the look of a father staring at a beloved daughter, and it was obviously making the young woman uncomfortable. At last, the Time Lord answered, "These people corrupted mortality and immortality for their own purposes. It occurs to me that perhaps I should make them all immortal. Not as that foolish child Rose did to you, my son … but I have avenues open to me that neither the Doctor nor his dear Bad Wolf do. And in order to do that … well. No self-respecting magician tells his secrets. And I am far more dangerous than a magician. What do you think, heirs to the Families? Would you like to live forever?"

One by one, each of the heirs nodded eagerly as they obviously considered what they could accomplish if they could live forever. But what none of them were taking into account … and Steve was already seeing … was that this was a punishment, not a reward. Yes, Rassilon could make them immortal … but none of them were asking immortal as what, or what the consequences would be. There were always consequences. Rassilon looked at Steve and the soldier from World War II was stunned to hear the Time Lord say within his mind, his lips never moving, 'Dip your fingers into my son's blood and then mark each of them. I know. Lamb's blood was used to protect the Israelites … this time, it shall mark the guilty.'

Steve inclined his head, even as a part of his soul cried out. But this would happen, regardless of who did it. He would see it done, no matter how repulsive he found it. Because the Families unleashing immortality on humanity again was even more repulsive than whatever Rassilon planned to do to them. Steeling himself, he dipped his index finger into the river of his friend's blood, and again, Rassilon asked, "Do you wish immortality, heirs of the Families?" One by one, each said yes, even the ones who Barton, Matheson and Jason Martinelli marched into the room, and one by one, Steve marked each of them with Jack's blood, returning to the table if necessary. He tried not to think how much blood Jack lost in order to fill up that gouged-out ridge, but instead focused on his gruesome task. When he returned to DC, he would find one of the churches that still did the liturgy in Latin and confess … somehow.

As he returned to stand beside Jack, Esther, and Natalie, his eyes sweeping over the combined teams and the remaining members of the Families (aside from fifteen or so stragglers … from what Phil Coulson told him, several strikes were authorized by SHIELD against the Families once they were identified. That may have been the reason for their abduction of Jack. Desperate people did incredibly stupid things, as he knew all too well himself), Steve took the handkerchief offered to him by Esther to wipe the blood away, tucking it inside his uniform until he had a chance to clean it. He wouldn't return it to the young blonde until it was cleaned. Rassilon said in that genial voice he had learned to fear in just the short time he'd known his friend's father, "Now. All you need to say is, 'I have won the Game of Rassilon,' and immortality shall be yours. But remember! To win is to lose and to lose is to win." Oh, that was _definitely_ ominous.

Again, Steve wondered why none of them were questioning this … unless they thought immortality was a lesser sentence than being tossed into the Void? That was the only thing that made sense to Steve … and only to a point there. Each of the Cousins began to chant, voices rising with joy, "I have won the Game of Rassilon! I have _won_ the Game of Rassilon!" And one by one, each of them began to disappear. Or so Steve thought at first … until one by one, faces began to appear on the support rock of the table. Faces that belonged to the Cousins … faces that had reflected joy now reflected horror as they began to realize what kind of deal they had struck for immortality.

 _To win is to lose and to lose is to win_. Steve shuddered as he realized just how true that was, but again, didn't gainsay the Time Lord. They made their choice … and now they would live with that choice for all eternity. But their punishment hadn't ended yet as the edges of the table seemed to melt away and tiny droplets of blood began to drip onto the faces of the heirs. What … the … hell? Rassilon merely looked bored, casting an irritated glance over his right shoulder, and then turned his attention to the trembling boy on his knees in front of Jason Martinelli, the same boy who initially kidnapped Jack. The father left the side of the son and approached the young man, purring, "Now. Whatever shall we do with this little traitor? Will you share the fate of your masters … or perhaps I could find a better use for you?"

TBC

Additional Author's Notes: So. Rassilon turned the Cousins immortal (as he did to Borusa in _The Five Doctors_ ), but it wasn't he who caused the blood to start dripping. I think everyone knows who is responsible for that. We'll get to that in the next chapter, along with the fate of Cary Meadows. I did say that the Families would be facing a fate worse than death at the hands of Rassilon, but there are fifteen Cousins remaining, and a warning was issued to the Patriarch by their sponsor. The Patriarch is beyond their reach, so guess who will be their stand-in? Yeah, the punishment for the Families hasn't ended yet. Until next time!


	10. Chapter 9: The Eternal Prison

Author's Notes: And, we are headed into the home stretch! I'm anticipating two chapters at this, three max. Y'all know the drill … once this is completed, it's anyone's guess how quickly the next story ( _Lay My Honor in the Dust_ ) will be up, especially since I need to re-work the prologue. What is everyone doing for New Year's Eve? My plans are the same they are every year … sitting at home, watching the ball drop in Times Square (assuming I'm still awake by then), as I have no desire to be out and about that night. Honestly, the only parties I've ever gone to for New Year's Eve are neighborhood parties, and I was always home by eight. As for the New Year itself, I don't make resolutions any more. We'll just see what happens. So, for this chapter, Rassilon explains why he used his son's blood to turn the Families to stone; another Time Lord makes an appearance; while Nick Fury gets a call from the rescue team.

Chapter Nine

An Eternal Prison

Outside the Devil's Fortress

Shortly after the Rescue

How … how had it all gone so wrong? He'd wanted to avenge his sister, make the man responsible for her death pay. Why was that wrong? This Harkness had robbed his brother-in-law of his wife, his nephew and niece of their mother, their parents of their daughter, and him of his sister. Why was it that whenever Harkness started screaming as if they were killing him, he started hearing his sister's cries and moans and the sounds of the machines in the home she shared with her husband? He had done the right thing … his sister deserved to live, and Harkness deserved to die, multiple times if that was possible. He had done the right thing!

He thought again of the moments before he witnessed his saviors (but were they really?) fate. The dark-haired woman protectively flanking Harkness found him as they entered the caverns … Cary tried to grab for the blonde woman at her side when he worked out that she was Harkness' lover, but the brunette had him on the ground instantly, growling, "Oh, no, you don't. You are _not_ hurting anyone else who matters to me, you little asswipe!" The blonde (Esther was her name, he thought) asked who he was, and the other woman answered, "This is the little creep who took Jack. Owen, you got any zip ties I can use on him?"

His wrists were secured behind him and the Owen in question yanked him to his feet, before striding ahead. Cary found himself propelled forward by a fierce shove from the brunette and eventually found himself in the antechamber where Harkness was initially taken. And that was when the people who extended his sister's life became faces on the stone table where Harkness was … bled. Cary gagged when Harkness' father had Rogers smearing blood on each remaining member of the Families, and retched when he took his awful revenge. But the true horror was yet to come. As the two brothers were instructed to help Harkness to his feet and support him between them, Rogers asked Harkness' father how this was possible. And that was when Cary learned the true horror of what the man … Rassilon … had done.

"In the past, when people tried to gain immortality, they could claim my ring and boast that they'd won the Game of Rassilon. However, there was an issue this time … there were thirty such individuals, and one ring. After I finished cleaning and dressing Jack, I … dipped my ring into the ridge that held his blood. Oh, I cleaned it off, but my ring recognized my blood in my son's. Once you anointed the Families with Jack's blood … well. I believe you humans say, the rest is history. It was my best way to bring this ugly mess to a conclusion. They launched the Miracle, using Jack's blood in part … I damned them, by their own words, using the same," Rassilon answered wearily as Cary was pushed forward out of the caverns. His fate still hadn't been decided, and Cary wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad … especially since the brunette (Natalie) decked him for ruining her daughter's birthday.

"But that isn't all you did. I know that you're not the reason why Jack's blood is running down their faces … your look over your shoulder told us that … but you did something else. Something felt odd as we left the antechamber," the Black Widow observed. She walked purposefully alongside Cary, but it was Hawkeye who was pulling Cary along … and he didn't look especially pleased, either. One of two things would happen to him … either Harkness' father would take a pound of flesh out of Cary's ass, or he would turn him over to Director Fury, and right now, he wasn't sure which option frightened him more.

"You're right. It isn't. I enclosed them in a Time Lock and made a small adjustment, so that the ridge containing Jack's blood never runs dry. They will spend all eternity with blood on their faces," was the response and Cary was almost sick again (which would have been even more unpleasant, since he was gagged). There was silence among the rescue party as they trudged toward the escape pod Cary used to kidnap Harkness and the Quinjet. Much to Cary's astonishment, the escape pod lifted up, seemingly of its own volition, and zoomed off. Rassilon blinked, the first such surprise Cary had seen from him, and asked of the Black Widow, "Director Fury?" She inclined her head and Rassilon mused, "Excellent. I should have expected as much from him. And Natalie, you have my congratulations for silencing the Patriarch, however briefly. Where did you leave your self-awareness, indeed!"

The brunette who captured Cary laughed a bit self-consciously before answering, "Thank you, my Lord Rassilon. I know I lack self-awareness at times, but that blew even my mind. And I was so stunned by his comment, I couldn't figure out why he would call me a whore. If Mr. Stark hadn't commented, I probably never would have figured that out." The so-called Iron Man made several choking noises, drawing grins from his fellow Avengers. Natalie Tregarth rolled her eyes, adding, "Hey, it's kind of a jump from a liar, which technically I was when I was undercover at that abandoned hospital, to a whore."

"Yes, well, you have to excuse him, he lacks basic understanding of the English language. Understandable, really … taking over the world is _much_ more important than learning to communicate. So, Rass … what are we doing about Traitor-boy here? Way I see it, he loses big time either way. You decide his fate, he loses. Fury decides his fate, he loses. Hell, even if Nat here decides his fate, he loses … he messed with her kid, after all," Stark replied. Rassilon turned to face the billionaire playboy philanthropist, eyes flickering to Cary.

"I think you should take him back with you. I'm sure Director Fury will want to speak to him. I may want to revisit your helicarrier at some point, and speak to the Director about young Mr. Meadows' future. But not today. Not right now. I need to return to my own base of operations. There is one other thing you should know about the Time Lock. It is only around the table where the Families are forever imprisoned. The rest of the cavern is … fair game. Jack … my sweet boy, I shall see you soon," Rassilon answered as he moved to his son's side. He cupped Harkness' face in his hands, kissing his forehead tenderly, before pulling him into his arms. He offered Natalie Tregarth one last look, before making a motion with his hand, as if he was opening a door … and then vanished.

There were several moments of silence after his disappearing act, before Captain Rogers said quietly, "We need to decide what to do about what comes next … about ensuring that no one ever finds that place." The Avengers looked at each other, and Captain Rogers went on, "Seventy years ago, I flew a plane into the water, to prevent the destruction of New York. I thought at the time that Schmidt is dead, but I'm not so sure now. It could be that he was taken elsewhere. If we had a way to put Rassilon's Time Lock at the bottom of the ocean, I'd say we should do that, but we don't."

"What kinds of weaponry does the helicarrier have?" Natalie Tregarth asked, and Cary's blood ran cold as he realized what she was really asking. The Avengers looked at each other and _smiled_. No, no, no, no!

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

SHIELD Helicarrier

Roughly the same time

It had been a little under an hour since the rescue team left the helicarrier for the rock formation called Devil's Fortress. Right now, only SHIELD personnel were on the bridge, but once Captain Rogers reported in, the Tregarth family and the rest of Torchwood Oklahoma would be called forward … well, aside from little Angel Tregarth, who never left the bridge and in fact, fell asleep in the arms of one of his techs (Hill had a picture of the sleeping toddler and was threatening to post it in the Triskelion).

"Director Fury, I have Captain Rogers on the line. The Families are neutralized and Captain Harkness has been safely rescued. There were no casualties for us," the commander in question announced, and the bridge erupted into cheers. Nick Fury allowed himself a tiny smile. Harkness was a pain in the ass, but it was Fury's experience that sometimes, your best allies were also the biggest pains in your ass. That was certainly true of Harkness, and it was true of Tony Stark as well. He thought briefly of pointing that out to Stark at some point, but decided to wait. Hill punched the button that would broadcast the captain's voice to the entire helicarrier, and said, "Everyone can hear you, Captain, go ahead."

"Thanks, Commander. Director, the Families are permanently out of commission and Jack is safe, but we want to ensure no one can ever find the Cousins. Natalie Tregarth has asked what kind of weaponry the helicarrier has. The heirs are all in the antechamber where Jack was held. Natalie wants to know if the helicarrier has a weapon that can focus on that room alone, without touching any of the rest of the cavern," the captain answered. Fury's eyebrows arched. What an interesting question, and from a woman he would have never expected to ask it. A glance toward Hill told him that she was thinking the same thing.

"Is Miss Tregarth there with you, Captain?" Fury asked and when Rogers acknowledged that she was, the director added, "Put her on." There was the sound of the comlink being transferred and a quick tutorial on how to use it, and when Fury heard mostly Natalie Tregarth's voice, he said, "This is Director Fury, Miss Tregarth. I understand you're wanting us to blow up a particular room in the Devil's Fortress cavern, without touching any of the other rooms. That's a lot of precision firepower, and I'm not sure it's worth the cost to taxpayers." Actually, if it kept the Families from causing more trouble, he thought it was more than worth the cost to taxpayers, but he wanted an explanation from the woman in question.

"It may well be overkill, Director Fury, if you'll pardon the pun. But it was suggested that we make it impossible for anyone to ever find them, and this was the best I could come up with. We can't stick them underwater. They're stuck inside a Time Lock, and they'll be there permanently. I really don't see how they could escape, but after what they've pulled … I just don't trust them. None of us do. A Time Lord put them inside that Time Lock, and I can't be sure that another Time Lord can't Unlock it. I don't know enough about the Time Lords. The heirs have been turn to statues, but I'm pretty sure they can still talk … and the last thing we need is some spoiled, entitled brat stumbling across them and starting more trouble," was the somewhat rambling response. However, it was a response that Fury couldn't argue with. He wasn't sure what she meant about Time Locks, but he could make a pretty good guess.

With that in mind, he observed, "Stand by." Hill punched the button that temporarily cut communications between them and the rescue team, and Fury asked, "Thoughts? While it does seem like overkill, she raises some good points about the Families making trouble by talking." And when the Tregarth girl talked about permanently, she didn't mean immortality, did she? Because that was a particularly ugly can of worms that he had no desire to open. His crew was silent as they considered what was being asked of them. On the other hand … he motioned for Hill to open communications back up with the rescue team, and when Hill indicated that communications were open once more, Fury asked, "Miss Tregarth, just to make sure we're on the same page … you are not asking us to kill the Families for you. You are asking us to make their prison a little more complete?"

"Exactly. Lord Rassilon, Jack's father, made them immortal. It's kinda hard to explain, I'll have to do it once we get back to the helicarrier. But he made them immortal as statues, sentient statues. They're aware of everything, but are unable to move. We can't kill them … that's part of their punishment. They'll never die. We're wanting to create an eternal prison for them. And even that probably won't be eternal, but it'll at least slow people down," Natalie responded. Once more, Hill placed communications on stand-by, but this time, the members of his crew were nodding slowly. It was one thing to kill an enemy when they were down … it was another thing entirely to imprison individuals guilty of crimes against humanity. They were still acting as judge, jury, and executioner … yet, at the same time, they weren't. Instead, they were trapping the Families in the exact same way the Families had trapped humanity. The director (or colonel) could appreciate the sentiment.

Fury looked at Hill, who nodded slowly … but her eyes were burning with rage. She saw this as he did. They were rendering a rough justice to the Families … but this would likely be the only way of dispensing justice. Fury thought it out a few times more, checking for any holes in his reasoning. Some would want them turned over to the justice system … but the question then became, which justice system? The Miracle affected the entire world, not just the United States and not just the United Kingdom, but the entire world. Fury already knew the answer, but it would be him who would be called to account, not Natalie Tregarth or Steve Rogers, and so he had to find these answers now, rather than later.

And as Nick Fury looked at his bridge crew, every last one of them affected by the Miracle in one way or another, he had his answers. Reading his mind this time, Hill restored communications with the rescue team, and Fury said, "There is a weapon we have which will keep the damage localized. There might be damage to the rest of the cavern, but only the rooms closest to the antechamber. Are you and the others clear of the blast zone?" There was another long silence, during which time he heard the comlink again being transferred. Not surprising. What was surprising was the smirk currently decorating Maria Hill's face. And were her eyes actually twinkling? He had to be seeing things!

And then, Steve Rogers was saying, "We're boarding the quinjet now, and we've got Meadows in custody. The escape pod should be on its way back to you, if it isn't already." It had, in fact, docked just moments before, and it was a good thing they had Meadows in custody. Fury still wasn't sure what he would do to the boy, but he had enough charges against him to put him in Leavenworth. There was kidnapping, theft, and Fury was sure he would learn of other charges. None of which helped in figuring out what to do about him. It was tempting to turn him over to Hill … or maybe Coulson, since his good eye was the one who figured out there was something going on with the young man. Oh yes … he liked that idea.

"It's here … docked just a few minutes ago. We're reviewing protocols and who is permitted to access them. Hill has suggested that they can only be released from the bridge, but I'm not sure that's the proper response. I'm guessing that you're staying until that part of Devil's Fortress is destroyed?" Fury inquired and was immediately rewarded with at least two voices responding with ' _ye_ s,' and several other voices calling variations on the affirmative. Fury smiled to himself, because of course they would want to see this done. He added, "Stand by. It'll take five minutes to charge up the weapon. Tell Barton that if he's not at least two clicks away, he has time to get to minimum safety distance."

"Understood," Rogers answered. Again, Hill put the rescue team on standby … but this time, it was because of a strange sound. Fury couldn't describe it, but if he heard it again, he'd recognize it. Especially since it was accompanied by a blue and white police telephone booth, like the ones he saw in Peggy Carter's old pictures of England. Charles Havelock muttered something under his breath, something that sounded very crude, but only tensed a little. Hill glanced at Fury, then at his sidearm, and he shook his head. Not yet. Not until they knew what they were dealing with, although Fury had a pretty good idea.

The door swung open and a dark-haired man ambled out of the 'police box' in a brown trench coat, hands in his pockets. The man appeared to be somewhere in his thirties, but looks were deceiving. Especially with this man, whose reputation was well known to Fury. He opened his mouth, but before he had a chance to speak, Havelock spat, "Hello, Doctor!" Fury motioned his people to stand down … he knew that the newcomer was dangerous, but he also had a hero complex … or a god complex, it was hard to know which it was in people like this. The Doctor (obviously the Tenth, given Havelock knew him) looked taken aback, not just at Havelock's addressing of him, but the utter contempt in his voice.

"I'm sorry, do I know you? You look terribly familiar, and where exactly am I? Ah! You're Nick Fury, director of SHIELD. So this must be the SHIELD helicarrier, might I have a tour?" the Doctor inquired. Fury was pleased to see that not a single member of his crew relaxed. Nor did they look particularly impressed. Not everyone knew about Havelock's tour of duty aboard the Valiant, but they did know the man … and everyone was taking cues from him. Fury would do the same, and nodded to Hill to continue prepping the laser. They still had a job to do, and he wasn't about to let the Doctor distract him or his people from doing what had to be done. Nick Fury answered to Alexander Pierce, the president of the United States, and God (Rassilon, too, as well … on occasion). He did **not** answer to the Doctor.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

It wasn't common knowledge, but Maria Hill's brother served on the Valiant, just as Charles Havelock did. That was one reason why she took care of his training herself, because he reminded her so much of her brother. Her brother, who was alive and dead at the same time. Her brother, who had severe PTSD as a result. Her brother, who was all she had left and kept failing every single day because she couldn't be what he needed her to be. And before her stood the Doctor. The Doctor, the very same one who set all of that mess into motion when he cleared Harold Saxon's path to become prime minister. Maria exhaled slowly, and continued on clearing the laser. Dealing with people like the Doctor was part of the director's job … this was hers.

And then, that job was interrupted by, "No, no, you can't do this! I won't let you do this!" Hill looked up from her progress. Two more checks to do in the five minute window they gave Rogers and Tregarth Daughter Number Three. She returned her attention to her work, tuning the rants of the Doctor out … at least until she heard him moving toward her and the director. It took her half a second to complete the final check, remove her sidearm and turn to face the so-called Oncoming Storm. She pointed the weapon in his face with no expression on her own. He stopped, eyes flickering from her expression (or lack thereof) to the gun in her hand, and said placatingly, "You don't have to do this, you know … you don't have to follow his orders."

"Oh, I'm not pointing a gun in your face because I was _ordered_ to … I'm pointing a gun in your face because I _want_ to," Hill retorted and had the pleasure of seeing the Doctor's eyes widen. She smiled coldly as she went on, "On this bridge are two people with connections to the Valiant. You do remember the Valiant, don't you, Doctor? The place where you chose the Master over humanity? One person is Charles Havelock, who … greeted you after you emerged from your TARDIS. The other is me. My brother served on the Valiant, he died on the Valiant while trying to protect Tish Jones, and now he's alive … but he remembers dying. Can you imagine, Doctor, having two sets of memories? And so help me God, if you repeat that inane, ' _I'm sorry, I'm so sorry_ ,' I will shoot you until you run out of regenerations!"

"Hill," the director said quietly, and Hill put the gun away. In truth, she was still embarrassed by losing her composure with Alice Carter earlier in the afternoon … mortified, really. And the Master's enabler wasn't worth her time. She turned her back on the Doctor, trusting Director Fury to protect her, and focused on firing the laser up. However, she listened to Fury tell the Doctor about the Families, about what they had done. He spoke of Miracle Day, and the horrific way it came into being, with a betrayal and a night of repeated murders. And that was when the Doctor really put his foot in it.

"I should have known Jack Harkness was involved …" was all he managed to say before the entire bridge stopped what they were doing and turned toward him in appalled silence. The Tregarths were gaping at him in disgust, and little Ailsa was glaring at the Doctor as if she would threaten any minute to beat his butt, a threat made by the child after Harkness was taken.

But it was Charles Havelock who stalked forward until he was nose to nose with the meddling Time Lord, growling, "How dare you blame Jack for this?" The Doctor's eyes widened, but before he could start babbling about how he was sorry, he was so sorry, Havelock went on, "You know, Doctor, you weren't the only one who suffered on the Valiant. Hill's brother did … I just remembered him, remember seeing him sprawled at my feet after he protected Tish Jones from the Master. Every human being on that ship suffered in one form or another. Including Jack, especially when he was distracting the Master from you. And how was that loyalty repaid?"

"It wasn't. So. This is the Doctor, the magical being my father spent so many years believing in. I love my dad, but in this instance, I'm seriously not impressed. My father spent a night being murdered by other human beings, human beings who sold his blood to monsters in human flesh … who then created the Abomination. My father isn't the villain here. And you are not the hero. You didn't come during the 456 mess because it was a mess created by humans? Fine. This is a mess created by humans, and humans are cleaning it up. So you can go now. We don't want you here, we don't need you here. And my father certainly doesn't need the likes of you. Commander Hill, who was it that requested this strike?" Alice Carter asked.

Hill had only a moment to make her decision … and it was surprisingly easy to make. Or maybe not so surprisingly … because while she respected the civilians who took part in the rescue, she didn't have to listen to them. She replied, "It was Captain Rogers. He requested the strike when he realized the danger to humanity that the Families still pose … or rather, what remains of the Families." The Doctor looked utterly horrified at the revelation, and Hill mentally apologized to the captain for throwing him under the bus. In the very next second, she hoped she was there if the Doctor confronted Captain Rogers about that request.

"Captain Rogers? Captain America sanctioned this? I don't believe you, he wouldn't do such a thing! It's immoral. Not that it matters. None of that matters. I'll stop you. And even if I can't, I can make sure that neither of you ever hold command positions again! By the time I'm finished with the both of you, because the rest of these people wouldn't act if you two weren't in the picture, by the time I'm finished with you, no one will hire you!" the Doctor threatened furiously. He was actually shaking with rage, his manner threatening. _Do what I want or else_ , was what he was saying, and the only thing it was doing was further infuriating her. To her surprise, the Director actually smiled at that.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll try. But here's something you've failed to take into account, Doctor. I'm not an elected official. Neither is Hill. Nor is anyone on this ship. But even if we were, you couldn't do anything about it. You're not an American citizen, so you can't vote us out. Oh, you might try to destroy us the way you did Harriet Jones. You might even succeed. But ask yourself this, Doctor … who is worse? Harriet Jones? Or Harold Saxon? I think we both know the answer to that. Just as we know that Hitler wasn't stopped by inviting him to tea and crumpets," Fury answered.

The Doctor looked around, seeking support from the people on the bridge … and finding none. Hill straightened and folded her arms over her chest, saying, "The laser is ready. You see, Doctor … none of us are, or have been, your Companions. We've met them, and respect them beyond measure. Not just Captain Harkness, but Martha Jones-Smith as well. She's an amazing person. And you may think that when she walked the earth, telling everyone she met about you, that the people she talked to believed in you. But they didn't. Their faith was in Martha Jones, _not_ in the Doctor. The laser is ready and we are in the best position to seal the Families into their eternal prison. Charles Havelock said earlier that you chose the Master over humanity … well, this is humanity, choosing Captain Harkness … and Martha Jones … over you. Fire at will!"

For while Fury had been talking, Hill had quietly turned the ability to fire to everyone's station. Havelock, who was standing near an open station, turned and said to Carlyon Tregarth, "You fire, sir. It was your granddaughter held captive by the Families, and your daughter who risked her life as an undercover operative to help get her out. And I know you remember the Year as well … it should be you who puts an end to this … you and Ms. Carter, after what they did to her and her father." The elderly man looked at Fury and Hill, and Fury nodded once. With a grim smile, the former colonel exchanged a look with his friend's daughter and together, they pushed down on the firing button. The entire carrier shook before that single, deadly beam shot out, racing toward Devil's Fortress. A long look passed between the two, and Hill would have been lying if she said she wasn't curious about what that look meant. A small smile touched the corners of Tregarth's mouth and Alice Carter inclined her head, before both the elderly colonel and his best friend's daughter stepped back from that weapon of death, and Carlyon Tregarth turned his attention to the Doctor.

There were a thousand things the World War II veteran could have said. But Hill was pretty sure that the cold contempt in his eyes said everything that needed to be said. The Doctor looked at the Tregarth family, at Alice Carter, at everyone on the bridge, before shaking his head sadly and walking back into his police box. But before he could close the door behind him, Carlyon Tregarth added, "Your song is ending, Doctor … you might want to start thinking of the ways you can thank your Companions for putting up with your nonsense. All … of your Companions." The Doctor froze and turned back to look at Colonel Tregarth, who smiled coldly. The two men stared at each other for several moments, the colonel never looking away from the Doctor. The Time Lord broke away first with a heavy sigh that told everyone just how disappointed he was in them. But Maria Hill didn't care. She neither wanted nor needed the forgiveness of the being who forgave her brother's murderer.

"Rescue Team, this is the Helicarrier … our information indicates that the target has been destroyed. Come on home," she said and smiled to herself as she heard the response from the Avengers and their allies. As she glanced at the director, she caught sight of his answering smile. He inclined his head to her, and she returned the gesture. This wasn't the end, she knew … not even of the Families. There were still individual Cousins out there, running around, looking to raise their empire once more. And SHIELD would be waiting.

TBC

Additional Author's Notes: Okay, that ended up going places I wasn't expecting, but Maria Hill kinda hijacked this final section and insisted on having her say. I say 'no' to Hill about as often as I do to Natasha. It occurred to me, only hours after posting the previous chapter, that I needed to address how Rassilon tied things together. In _The Five Doctors_ , he turned Borusa into a face on his sarcophagus when Borusa put on his ring. However, there were thirty Cousins present, and just the ring wouldn't be enough in this case. Since the Families used Jack's blood to instigate the Miracle (with a great deal of assistance from the Mire technology), Rassilon thought it poetic justice to use the same to punish them. Also, it occurred to me as I was driving into Fayetteville to pick up my new DVD of _The Musketeers_ season one … while it was the Doctor whom everyone was calling on when Martha returned to the Valiant in _The Last of the Time Lords_ , it wasn't the Doctor whom the people on Earth believed in, had faith in … it was Martha. The people on Earth didn't know the Doctor, but they did know Martha. They had faith in her, and Martha had faith in the Doctor. The next few chapters will wrap things up with the Nevada contingent and what happens to the rest of the Cousins running amok. Until next time!


	11. Chapter 10: Worth Many Wounds

Author's Notes: And here is the second to last chapter of _Master of the Game_. As ever, the story took directions I wasn't expecting, but sometimes, that's part of the fun. The title for this chapter comes from a line in the _Sherlock Holmes_ story, _The Three Garridebs_ (short explanation for those who have never read it or any of the stories in question, during the confrontation with the bad guy, Watson is shot and Holmes freaks out. Actually tells the bad guy that if Watson had died, he would not have left the room alive … 'cause Holmes would have killed him). The line made it into the 2009 _Sherlock Holmes_ movie with Robert Downey, Jr and Jude Law. I figured it worked for Steve and Jack, albeit in a slightly different context. So, in this chapter, we have Rassilon putting everyone back in their rightful time and place, as well as issuing a warning to Koschei; a three-way snuggle between Jack, Esther, and Owen while Jack tries to understand what he saw; and a conversation between two people who sentenced some very bad people to an eternal hell (or, at least, made it really hard for them to ever get free).

Chapter Nine

Worth Many Wounds

Safe Haven, Nevada

1938 & 2013

He really should have expected the four young humans awaiting him (rather impatiently) in Angelo Colasanto's study in 1938 Nevada … along with a very, _very_ pleased with himself Koschei. Rassilon had opened the door to that time and place shortly after Koschei arranged for the ridges to overflow with Jack's blood, sending it dripping down onto the faces of the Cousins. It wasn't his sarcophagus on Gallifrey, but that table had held his son. It was close enough, and he had faith that the Tregarths would care for his son … especially Esther. There was a part of him, too, that wished he had told Natalie Tregarth about the child she carried, but now was not the time for that. If he told her about it now, she would focus on the potential danger she inadvertently placed Rassilon's granddaughter in by accompanying them on that mission, and the guilt would be debilitating.

Rassilon didn't want that. He wanted it to be a joyful time for her, as fears and insecurities would crowd in soon enough. She would be afraid … he understood that. He was afraid, too, when he learned of his consort's pregnancy with Jack. He was so very old … how could he be a father again? Did he have the patience to care for a baby or a toddler or a small child? Those things never came to pass, due to the assassination attempt, but his fears had been very real. So, too, would be Natalie Tregarth's fears, once she learned of the existence of her unborn daughter. He would get his Children of Time settled, arrange for Eleanor and Rhys Williams to be picked up at the airport, and then he would move forward a bit in time to tell Natalie about the baby. Koschei whispered, "Playing the Angel Gabriel, are you?"

Rassilon swatted the back of his head, muttering, "Behave, or else." Koschei responded with a sidelong glance, as if he didn't believe that Rassilon would ever punish him. Hmm. It was long past time he corrected that idea. For something like this … mere teasing … there would never be punishment. But Koschei needed to understand that there were punishments aside from death he could face. With that in mind, Rassilon observed, "I had a conversation with Theta-Twelve recently. He told me about a time when he landed on the SHIELD helicarrier as Theta-Ten … evidently, he went up against Colonel Fury and the entire bridge crew, and lost quite badly. I believe he said that Commander Hill's exact words were, 'you chose the Master over humanity; humanity is choosing Captain Harkness over you.' SHIELD hired at least two people who know of the Valiant, Koschei. One who served … and one whose brother died at the hands of the Master for the unpardonable sin of protecting Laeticia Jones."

Koschei's face had turned the color of soured milk, and Rassilon added, "I trust I have made my point?" The younger Time Lord nodded numbly, and Rassilon turned his attention back to the four young people in front of him. He knew that his three Children of Time had very specific questions for him, questions that he didn't need Angelo to hear. But Rassilon, who was so rarely surprised, was surprised then, because it was Angelo who spoke first … and what he had to say completely floored both the Lord President and the father.

"There is no need to take the memories of the last few hours from me, Lord Rassilon. I have not yet forgiven myself, even if Jack has forgiven me," the émigré said quietly. He chewed his lower lip, before explaining to the stunned Time Lord, "The night I betrayed Jack … the night I watched him die so many times … I helped to unleash a far worse evil. I don't know yet what form that evil will take, but this Miracle spoke of so derisively … it cannot be good. I must work against the descendents of those evil men … that is the only way I can truly atone for what I did to Jack. Do you know what he told me, on the night I first saw him die? He spoke of saving the world, and no one ever knowing that. I should have remembered that … when I accused him of being the devil, I should have remembered that."

"There are things you are not yet ready to remember, and those memories will be hidden … for now. When you and Jack next meet, that is when you will remember, Angelo Colasanto. Be a good man, until then," Rassilon answered. The young man's expression was conflicted, but after a moment, he nodded. Rassilon went on, "This will be far easier on you if you're sitting down." The corners of Angelo's mouth quirked as he settled into his chair, the same chair he was sitting in when Rassilon arrived. The Time Lord touched his temple and Angelo slumped forward. Rassilon patted his shoulder and told his children, "Come. We should go home, and there, I will answer all of your questions." Well … not all. A Time Lord had to have some secrets, after all, but he would answer the questions he could … including why he allowed Jack to see them.

And, because Ianto Jones was Ianto Jones, the young man cheekily pointed out, "And don't forget someone has to go to the airport to pick up Eleanor and Rhys once we get back. I do hope she remembers to tell him that Tosh and I are alive … or we'll be picking Rhys up from the floor when he hits the ground in a dead faint." Suzie snickered, Tosh giggled, and Rassilon merely rolled his eyes as he ushered them into the cottage … ah, and only five minutes after they left! He was a _Time_ Lord, after all! And not just a Time Lord, but the Time Lord Prime. Koschei might have been the Master at one time, but he, Rassilon, was the Master of the Game.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Avengers Quinjet

May 2013

He reclined along one of the benches on the quinjet, head resting against Esther's chest and her arms wrapped around him securely. Slowly, he was regaining strength, but he was still tired and the best place available to him to rest was in Esther's arms. Owen sat a short distance away, his hand resting lightly on Jack's ankle. The immortal wasn't sure if it was for his reassurance or Owen's, and it really didn't matter. He had to talk to Owen … and Esther. He shifted a little and Esther seemed to sense what he needed. She relaxed her grip on him, shifting her own body so that he was leaning against her, but able to see Owen as well.

"I'm wondering if blood loss causes hallucination … I thought I saw Tosh, Ianto and Suzie with my father, just before you and the others came in," Jack explained. Owen's face remained oddly blank, but the doctor said nothing, allowing Jack to continued, "They weren't the only ones, either … Angelo was with him. Four people I love, four people who are dead … but they were so real, I could feel their hands on my face and in my hair. They … they knew about Gwen and about Dite's Favor, and they forgave me."

"Jack," Owen said gently, his hand shifting to Jack's knee, "maybe it was a hallucination. Maybe your father figured out a way to bridge the distance between the living and the dead. But they were trying to tell you something, and it's that which is important, not how they got there. They love you … all of them. Tea-boy, Tosh, Suzie, even the prick … they love you. They understand that you weren't entirely yourself … they've forgiven you. Now let it go." Jack smiled sadly, because Owen was missing the point. One of them, at least. And Owen nodded, saying slowly, "But you can't, because … because you can't. Okay. What are the possibilities here? One … your father bridged the distance between life and death and brought them all back to say good-bye to you, to let you know that they know about Dite's Favor and its consequences and that they've forgiven you, even though to them, there's really nothing to forgive."

"Agreed. Another possibility is that it was a hallucination, but why would my mind come up with Angelo as well. I suppose some people would think I wronged him, in the way I left his life the second time, but most people don't know about that. And Suzie … Suzie was before Gwen, so I didn't wrong her because of Dite's Favor," Jack pointed out. Owen rolled his eyes, and the immortal bit back a smile because it just never got old, winding up Owen. Especially when his doctor chose such creative ways to pay him back.

"Here's a third possibility … Lord Rassilon brought them back from the dead," Esther suggested and both Owen and Jack looked at her in astonishment. Well, at least Jack did … he was too busy staring at Esther in shock to see Owen's reaction. Esther merely raised her brows inquiringly, asking, "What? Owen, you told me yourself that Rassilon brought you back, using Bad Wolf … why is it so hard to believe that he also brought back Suzie, Tosh, and Ianto?" The words were out of Jack's mouth before he even had a chance to think about them.

"Because Owen was stuck between life and death … thanks to my inability to let go of him … and that doesn't factor in Angelo," he responded and Esther merely shrugged. But her expression told him that she hadn't given up on her theory. And knowing Esther as he did, he knew better than to try to change her mind. The more you pushed her, the more she dug in her heels. And because he did know Esther (because he did love her), Jack couldn't help but tease, "So willing to have them all come back to life, are you?"

"If it means you being happy, without a second thought," was Esther's immediate response, ten words that nearly drove the air from Jack's lungs. Because she meant every word of it, his beautiful Esther. If it meant his happiness, he realized, Esther would march into the afterlife herself and drag Ianto, Tosh, and Suzie back. Esther smiled at him sadly and reminded him, "I did tell you that I love you, Jack … and that's what you do for the people you love." She had told him that she loved him … as he lay flat on his back in the middle of the hospital where Natalie and Lucas were being treated.

He said with a quick glance over his shoulder, "Owen? Close your eyes." He didn't need a second glance backwards to know that Owen rolled his eyes, not just at the command, but at the searing kiss he gave Esther, a kiss that left her melting against him. When they drew back at last, Jack continued to cradle her face in his hand, murmuring, "I don't deserve you." She huffed a laugh, her breath warm against his face, even as Owen was crowding up against his back, his arms wrapping around Jack's waist.

"You're an idiot, Jack Harkness, but you're our idiot. You deserve every amazing thing in this world and every other world," was her somewhat predictable response, because Esther believed in him, had faith in him, even when he was burning from the inside out. Her eyes darkened with desire as Owen began kissing the nape of his neck and his hands stroking Jack's flanks, and she leaned forward to kiss Jack again. The immortal moaned into her mouth, his eyes falling closed. The perfect moment ended with a throat clearing. Reluctantly, Jack pulled away from Esther, struggling to focus on the figure in front of him. Long red hair, he registered … Natasha, the Black Widow, his mind supplied. Esther asked sweetly, "Is there a problem, Natasha?"

"Don't make out with your boyfriend on the quinjet … there are innocent eyes watching," the Widow answered with a mischievous grin, head jerking in the direction of Cary Meadows, who was watching with very, very wide eyes. He was making … noises of some kind behind his gag, and Natasha continued, "I think you're making Cap uncomfortable as well." Jack managed to turn his head toward Steve, who was smiling at him … but the tips of his ears were bright red. At least Natalie, standing beside Jack's brother captain, wasn't blushing. Much.

"Well, damn, you just had to bring Cap into this! Spoil all my fun, why don't you?" Owen grumbled, but his hand stopped at Jack's sternum. Steve merely offered a 'who, me?' look, and the doctor muttered, "Yes, you! If she'd stopped with Meadows, I would have had Jack melting against Esther … well, more than he already was. But noooo, she had to bring you into it, 'cause no one wants to make Captain America uncomfortable!" Steve merely shrugged with an impish grin that no one had met him could believe belonged on the face of Captain America.

"Hey, don't let me stop you, Dr. Harper. Dum-Dum Dugan always used to tell me that the best thing for anyone after a death-defying mission was … ahem … relations," the blond captain answered, his impish smile broadening. Steve asked, turning his attention to Esther, "And it looks like Miss Drummond isn't objecting at all to sharing Jack." Too late, he realized what he said and the 'tips of his ears' blush extended to his entire face. A quick glance to his left told Jack that Esther was blushing as well … and beaming.

"Oh," she all but purred, "I don't object at all to sharing Jack … whether it's with my aunt, who I adore," this said with a nod to Natalie, who blew a kiss in response, followed by a glance toward Owen, who smirked, "Or Owen, who is the annoying older brother I never wanted, because that slot was already filled by Rex." The smirk turned into a scowl and Esther merely offered him a sunny smile in response as she shifted her attention once more, this time to Jack as she added, "And I wouldn't mind sharing him with Ianto, if he did magically come back to life. I don't know how Ianto would feel about sharing him with me …"

"With you? He wouldn't mind. Actually, I can see the two of you becoming the evil twins, partners in crime. Oh, that's a scary thought," Owen answered with a mock-shudder. Jack allowed himself a moment to imagine a world with both Esther Drummond and Ianto Jones, where they both loved him and loved each other. With a wistful smile, he let that image go, because it was all just a dream … wasn't it?

TWTWTWTWTW

"Everything okay now? Now, that we nearly watched Dr. Harper ravish Jack right in front of our eyes?" Steve Rogers asked, turning back to face his companion of the last few minutes. He actually should have seen that coming … while the action came from the helicarrier, and the order (or rather, the request) came from him, Natalie Tregarth had a hand in the ultimate destiny of the Families. Thirty people were condemned for all eternity. And not surprisingly, she was struggling with that, even knowing what sort of people the Families were.

"Getting there. I think … I think the worst part is the fact that I don't feel guilty. I should. I know that. I should feel … something. But right now, all I feel is relief that they can't hurt Jack or Esther or Ailsa, or anyone else I care about. I don't think that makes me as much of a monster as they are, but I am worried that …" Natalie began, before her voice trailed off. Steve didn't say anything, didn't even move and Stark had no smart remarks from the cockpit. When she didn't continue, Steve decided it was safe for him to respond.

"If you're worried that this … numbness … and sense of relief is setting you on the road to the Dark Side, I don't think that will become an issue. I won't say because you aren't capable of that sort of thing. I wouldn't insult you that way … we all have that capacity, we all have a dark side. I don't think it will become an issue, because you're aware of the possibility. If it helps … even if you hadn't made the suggestion, I would have. That's why … if that numbness ever goes away, and you start having nightmares about being trapped in a cave-in or about being a face on a table that's aware of your surroundings … I want you to call me. We did the right thing, to protect the world, but that doesn't mean we won't have trouble sleeping. That doesn't mean we won't have nightmares. But at least, this way, we won't be alone."

He was rewarded with a grateful, albeit strained, smile. Natalie murmured, "They're human beings. At least, they used to be. I don't know what they are any more. I just know that when I saw what they did to Jack … and then, when I realized what Rassilon was doing to them … there was a part of me that was horrified but took pleasure in their suffering and in their horror. And it scared the daylights out of me. I decked brat-boy over there for kidnapping and hurting Jack, and for ruining Ailsa's birthday, but them … I would have done far worse and enjoyed it."

"Oh, I don't know that I'd say that Ailsa's day has been completely ruined … the day isn't over yet, and even if the ice cream has melted, I'm sure Stark wouldn't mind making an ice cream run for a cute little girl, would you, Stark?" Steve asked, pitching his voice a little louder … since he knew Howard's son was standing in the little cubbyhole between the main part of the quinjet and the cockpit. A hint of red and gold peeked around the corner, Stark's mask flipped open, and the billionaire playboy philanthropist scowled at him, ' _I hate you_.' Steve and Natalie glanced at each other, grinned, and answered in unison, "No, you don't." Tony's scowl grew and the mask flipped back down.

"You said a minute ago that I ever start having nightmares about being trapped, or about being a sentient face on a table, that I should call you," Natalie said, growing serious once more. Steve turned his attention more fully to the dark-haired woman in front of him, nodding a little, and Natalie continued, "I'm going to make the same offer to you. If you have those nightmares … hell, if you have nightmares about being a Capsicle … call me. That's how this friendship thing is supposed to work, isn't it?" She poked at his uniform, more or less where his ribs would be, and Steve smiled gently at her.

"Quid pro quo?" he asked and she responded with a small shrug and a somewhat larger smile. Barton called back that they were getting ready to land on the helicarrier, and sitting down would be a really good idea. Steve took the hint (okay, the order) and settled himself on the bench opposite Jack, Esther, and Dr. Harper, pulling Natalie down with him. Keeping a protective arm around her shoulders, he said, "Okay, then … you have a deal, Miss Tregarth."

It seemed that the words were no sooner out of their mouth that the quinjet was on the deck of the helicarrier and the anchors were locking into place. The rear ramp opened, revealing several figures outlined in the sunlight. But it was a little voice squealing, "Mommy!" that made Steve smile, and Ailsa Tregarth rushed into the quinjet and into her mother's arms. Natalie laughed aloud with delight, spinning her daughter around and around. Steve pushed himself to his feet, exchanging a glance with Jack. His friend had been through hell today. And yet, if he hadn't pushed Natalie and Ailsa into the bathroom when Cary Meadows made his rush, things could have turned out differently … and much. As horrific as what Jack endured today was, Steve knew Jack would suffer far worse if it protected innocents. He knew that, because he would do the same. And as Alice Carter boarded the quinjet, exclaiming over her father's condition, Steve really couldn't be sorry for the Families, in the end. Because of the choices he and Natalie made, Alice and others would be safe from the Families, for the rest of their lives.

Such an outcome was worth the wounds … worth many wounds … and the nightmares.

To be Concluded

Additional Author's Notes: In the event the last section has anyone worried that things will eventually go Steve/Natalie, it won't (my two favorites are Steve/Wanda and Steve/Sharon). They're just becoming friends in their own right. Final chapter up next … Carlyon gets information that leads him to making a deal with the devil (setting the stage for the next story); while the remaining Cousins get absorbed into a far larger … and even more dangerous … organization. Until then!


	12. Epilogue: A Very Long Spoon

Author's Notes: And now, we come to the end of _Master of the Game_. The second half of the chapter was easy to write … having the remainders of the Families get swallowed up … but the foundation for the next story? That was a bit trickier. I tossed and turned for thirty minutes, trying to get comfortable, but I kept thinking about how to lay the groundwork for _Lay My Honor in the Dust_. I finally gave up, and here is the result (trust me, I'm running this through the spell/grammar check at least three times, considering I wrote the bulk of it between one and two in the morning). Hope you've enjoyed the ride. The finale to _Birthright_ will hopefully be up before I leave for Italy in March (probably sooner); like I said, I need to revise the prologue. Until then, Carlyon has an unpleasant meeting; and the masters of the Families are revealed. Give yourself your favorite kind of cookie if you worked out who it is.

Epilogue

A Very Long Spoon

Tregarth Homestead, Oklahoma

Five Days Later

Carlyon Tregarth smiled a little as his two grandsons bickered and chased each other around their aunt's Jeep with water hoses and soapy sponges, the radio in Natalie's Patriot blasting out a an eighties station. Or maybe it was Sirius … they were all the same to him. The brothers didn't get many chances these days to behave like typical young men in their twenties … it was good to see them playing. Although, if they were going to remove their shirts, it probably would have been a good idea if they did so where the audience would have been more appreciative. As it was, only Jack would have found the scenery appealing.

Not that he was paying much attention at the moment … no, Carlyon's best friend for the last eighty-plus years was currently asleep on the sofa, his head resting lightly in Esther's lap as Carlyon's oldest granddaughter stroked his hair. He hadn't been sleeping well lately … only forty-five minutes per night since Ailsa's birthday … and his exhaustion finally caught up with him after playing with the little girl. Carlyon suspected that his youngest instructed her daughter to wear Jack out, and Ailsa took those instructions to heart. They were all trying to take care of Jack in the wake of his abduction and subsequent torture at the hands of the Families. It was just that some of their ways were sneakier than others. That was fine, though. Sneaky was good sometimes … and sometimes, it was necessary, especially with Jack.

And Alice … Carlyon knew that he'd badly-mishandled things with Jack's daughter, especially in light of recent revelations. However, his intention had been … purely selfish, if he was to be totally honest with himself. He hated seeing Jack in pain, especially since it was Carlyon's original choices which led to that hurt … which was why he told Alice Carter the complete and unvarnished truth about what happened in 1965, including his threat to send her mother on that mission, rather than her father. It never occurred to him that she might blame his wife and daughter for the consequences to her family, but it should have.

However, things had been improving between his family and Alice since Jack's rescue. Part of it was the involvement of his daughter and grandchildren in the operation … and part of it was the coordination between himself and Alice in destroying the Families. That was something Carlyon had told Natalie three nights earlier, when she awakened from a nightmare. While it was sort of (but not really) her suggestion, it was Carlyon and Alice who actually carried it out … and the Families had taken enough from the people who Carlyon loved. No more. He would gladly bear that burden to spare them further grief.

And Sophia had finally confessed to him about her suspicions regarding their youngest. She certainly had a point, but Carlyon told her that if she believed Natalie was pregnant, then she needed to tell Natalie. Their daughter had never been pregnant before, and her assumption that she was just ill on the day of Ailsa's party was based in fact, since the entire house had fallen ill the week before. There was no reason Natalie would think it was anything else, much less pregnancy. Sophia observed that it only took once, and Carlyon reminded her again that she had the basis of five pregnancies … Natalie had none. Sophia sighed and promised to talk to Natalie soon-ish. In other words, when she worked up the nerve to do so. Yes, even his brave wife's courage faltered when it came to having The Talk with their daughters … even an altered one.

His smile died as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise, even he heard the whispery voice greet him mockingly, _We meet again, Oh Chosen One_! Carlyon turned to face the slight Fae. He should have known. The Mara had sent Jasmine Pierce … or rather, a Fae who was once Jasmine Pierce. She smiled, showing her sharp, pointed little teeth, and continued, _Your children have grown strong and wise … and your friendship with the Undying One remains strong._

"I am no longer a Chosen One … and if you or the other Mara seek to harm Jack, you'll have to come through me," Carlyon gritted out. The child (not a child, no, not even human any more) glowered and hissed at him, but Carlyon didn't back down, repeating, "I will **not** let you hurt him! His team at the time of your last meeting did enough of that. Speak your business, and then leave, Creature. I'll have you nowhere near my daughters or my grandchildren!"

 _Once a Chosen One, always a Chosen One! And the Undying One set me free … he will have my gratitude forever! That is why I come to you now! The child who was lost can be returned to him … because the child yet lives_! Jasmine retorted and Carlyon was sure his heart had just stopped. That child who was lost … did she mean Steven? While Jack had many children through the course of his life … it could only be Steven. But how was it possible that he was alive? Jasmine offered a knowing smile, saying, _We knew of the monsters' arrival on Earth … we offered the changeling in the place of the child. No one knew the difference, not even his mother. The child yet lives. What would you give, to return him to the Undying One_?

Steven was alive … the Fae realized the danger posed to the children of this planet, the danger to Steven Carter in specific, and sent a changeling in his place. Thinking quickly, Carlyon answered, "Myself … I will not sacrifice my wife, my children or my grandchildren. It was my decision that led to this, and it will be me who pays the price. Only … if Steven never died, where has he been all this while?" Perhaps not the most pertinent question, but at the same time, it was. Alice Carter buried a child, thinking he was her son … and Steven himself was safe.

 _So be it, Chosen One … but the Undying One cannot interfere. The child is in a safe place, with another Undying One, a female Undying One. Once the price has been paid, his great-grandfather will be called to us … and the child will be returned to his mother and grandfather. But you, Chosen One … you will come to us. Betray us, and one of your children will be taken in your place. Perhaps the last-born, who even now carries a child in her womb? Or the little one recently come to you_? Jasmine inquired sweetly.

Carlyon glowered at the not-child, hissing, "There is no need to threaten my family, Creature! And tread carefully … Jack's father is far more powerful than you imagine … he can wipe out all Mara, if you anger him enough!" He heard stories of Rassilon, the Lord High President of Gallifrey … one of its founders, a twisted version of King Arthur, who was to return to them when they needed him most (the Great Time War. And this being was his friend's father? Not only was he Jack's father, but the Fae who was once Jasmine Pierce lowered her eyes, as if ashamed … or maybe afraid. Hmm. So the Fae were afraid of, or at least wary of, Jack's father. That was good to know.

 _This we know. No action will be taken against your family, Chosen One. We know your word is true. Twenty-one days you have, Chosen One … and remember, the Undying One must not interfere!_ Jasmine warned, and then vanished. Twenty-one days. Carlyon released his breath. He still wasn't sure what would be required of him, but he knew that if it meant returning Jack's beloved grandson to him, he would make any sacrifices gladly. But … who was this female Undying One Jasmine mentioned? He would find out soon enough. Twenty-one days to live. There wasn't a second to waste any more … and he would start by summoning Lucas North.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Chicago, IL

The Following Day

He had a name, of course. They all had names, but their greatest identity belonged to the Families. They were destined to rule the world. Except … people kept getting in their way. And almost always, it was Jack Harkness. But in truth, this time, they only had themselves to blame. They were warned to leave the immortal alone. And now, because his father refused to listen to their backer, this was all that was left of the Families, the kingmakers of the modern age … the three families, destined to rule the world. Just fifteen people.

They could start again … after all, the Families started with just three men. But as the blond man stared at him evenly, the new Patriarch of the Families had the uneasy sense that they wouldn't be given the opportunity. His aunt had failed … and now his father had failed. Worse yet, those fifteen remaining Cousins were even now being surrounded by tough-looking men toting guns. And he had the sense that taking shelter in what remained of Queen of Peace Church wouldn't protect them from what was to come.

"So. Even after I directly told him to leave Jack Harkness alone, your father had him kidnapped. And he didn't just have him kidnapped, oh no … he had him kidnapped from the SHIELD helicarrier. Do I really need to tell you, just how badly your father's stupidity has set back our operations? SHIELD will be on guard now. It may not be enough to save them, to prevent us from keeping history on the correct path … but they will be on the defensive," the blond man said. The young man released a breath, because really, what could he say? His father had blundered and blundered badly, and he hadn't been there to stop him.

The blond man circled him, saying, "Now, I realize that you and the rest of your little group weren't there at the time, but … a price must be paid, especially since your father's actions drew the attention of Captain Rogers. Captain Harkness is his friend, and while that can be a weakness ... Well. I don't think I have to elaborate." No. No, he didn't. The young man grew up on stories of what Captain Rogers had done when his best friend was killed on a mission. While he likely wasn't as close to the immortal captain as he was to Bucky Barnes, he didn't fool himself into thinking that the World War II hero's retribution would be any less devastating.

"I understand," he said in as steady a voice as he could manage. The blond man in front of him inclined his head, glanced at one of the muscled men behind him, and a report from a gun was heard … very, very close. Painfully close. A look to his right showed his younger brother on the ground, the back of his head gone. He thought of the FBI agent he'd shot in the elevator before Oswald Danes managed to escape … the one who managed to get close to Jilly Kitzinger … and then he looked away again, into the cold blue eyes of Alexander Pierce.

But it was the man behind him who spoke, the man who just killed his little brother, saying, "I know it hurts. But there are no prisoners in HYDRA … only order. And order only comes through pain. Heil HYDRA!" The chant was quickly taken up by the entire room, including the son of the former Patriarch, silently urging his Family to do the same, to survive. He thought of something his mother used to say, something he scorned her for at the time, because he regarded her as weak. ' _If you wish to dine with the devil, you'll need a very long spoon_.' She was right … she was right, all along. And he closed his eyes as around him, the chants grew ever louder.

"Heil HYDRA!"

"HEIL HYDRA!"

" **HEIL HYDRA!"**

 **Fin**

Additional Author Notes: Okay … who figured out that HYDRA was backing the Families? I tried to give out little hints, without giving things away. Of course, if you've seen _Captain America: The Winter Soldier_ , you recognized Brock Rumlow (aka Crossbones) from his little speech there at the end. I know there will be questions about it, which I will answer right here. When Jasmine spoke of a female Undying One, she was indeed speaking of Lady Ashildr/Mayor Me. In _Face the Raven_ , when the Doctor mentioned Retcon, I immediately thought of Jack, and made it head canon that Jack helped to set up the town. What changes do I make to Ashildr's contributions to the Whoinverse, starting with _Face the Raven_? I'll let you once I figure it out. I'm also still working out what part, if any, Missy will play. If you have any thoughts, feel free to mention them. I don't always use suggestions, but I do listen to them. Oh, and I can't forget … Happy New Year!


End file.
